The 2020/21 Premier League fixture list has been revealed ahead of the new campaign with a tasty opening set of fixtures to sink your teeth into.
Liverpool kick off their title defence against newly-promoted Leeds United in the pick of the opening day fixtures.
Fellow new boys Fulham host Arsenal at Craven Cottage and West Brom welcome Midlands rivals Leicester to the Hawthorns.
Manchester City and Manchester United’s weekend exits from the Champions League and Europa League respectively mean that every side will now have their full focus on a huge season ahead.
The upcoming campaign promises another raft of drama, with Liverpool in the driving seat to retain their crown after enjoying a longer break than rivals around them.
A remodelled (David Silva-less) Man City are seen as their biggest threat and will surely put up more of a fight in the 2020/21 title race.
Man Utd and Chelsea are both dark horses for title contention if they can add a few extra dashes of quality to their blossoming young squads.
Arsenal and Tottenham are likely to improve on a disappointing Premier League season for both north London teams, though Mikel Arteta did record FA Cup silverware with the Gunners during his first season as a manager.
He will hope to press up the league, while Jose Mourinho won’t allow his Tottenham team to meander around mid-table again.
Wolves and Leicester will hope to build on impressive seasons with disappointing endings.
New boys Leeds, West Brom and Fulham are coming up from the Championship ready to stake a claim to establish themselves in the top tier, with plenty of promise between them.
Details are already emerging about the 2020/21 Premier League season and we’ve got the full fixture list below.
When does the 2020/21 Premier League season start?
The Premier League 2020/21 season will start on Saturday 12th September, just seven weeks after the conclusion of the current campaign.
The opening game may be played on Friday 11th September, depending on the TV schedule, with an individual Friday game tasked with kick-starting last season.
It remains to be seen how many games will be shown live on TV, but we’ll have you covered with the full array of details once confirmed.
When will the 2020/21 Premier League season end?
This is where things become complicated. Well, even more so than trying to start a domestic football season in September.
The official end date has been confirmed to be Sunday 23rd May.
An already-cramped schedule, complained about by managers and players alike during regular seasons, is about to get a whole lot more intense.
Organisers must shoe-horn the season into a roughly ‘normal’ schedule by the end of the season with an end date in May.
This is to accommodate the re-scheduled Euro 2020 which has been shifted to start on 11th June 2021.
The Premier League season usually ends in early-to-mid May but will run an extra week to ensure all games are played. Matches must draw to a close before international stars are called away by their nations to engage in continental competition.
Anybody expecting football to return to normal in 2020/21 may be disappointed given the incredible logistics required to fit every competition into the time constraints.
Let’s not even get started on the 2022 Qatar World Cup being hosted in November/December in less than 18 months time.
Which TV channels will Premier League games be on?
Games will be shared out among the regular broadcasters as per the TV deal with not every game to be broadcast live in the UK, unlike the first part of lockdown.
Sky Sports will take the lion’s share of coverage once again with several matches per week.
It remains to be seen whether they will make any games available on free-to-air channel Pick TV, a firm fan favourite from lockdown.
BT Sport have taken up a weekly slot to show games, while they will also show a full week of matches at some point during the campaign.
Amazon Prime Video will broadcast two rounds of fixtures in December, though it’s unconfirmed whether they will received any additional matches.
How many of the Premier League games are free to air?
BBC aired four Premier League games for the first time in history last season, drawing in record numbers of viewers.
It remains to be seen whether they will receive any games in 2020/21, with reports suggesting they won’t be.
This is a blow for fans hoping to catch the action on free-to-air TV.
Keep checking out this page for the latest updates, and we’ll do everything we can to help you watch every moment of Premier League football on free-to-air TV, if available.
Will fans be allowed back to stadiums?
Not yet. The season will commence behind closed doors, but it could only be a few weeks into the restart when we see fans in stands once more.
Sports minister Nigel Huddleston confirmed a target date of 1st October 2020 is in place for a partial reopening of major sporting events.
Reports claim up to 30 percent of a stadium’s regular capacity could be used to ensure as many people as possible can attend without compromising safety.
The Community Shield has been touted to be used as a trial event, though that remains to be confirmed.
Premier League 2020/21 fixtures
All UK time. Kick offs TBC
Saturday 12th September
Burnley v Manchester United
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Fulham v Arsenal
Liverpool v Leeds United
Manchester City v Aston Villa
Tottenham Hotspur v Everton
West Bromwich Albion v Leicester City
West Ham United v Newcastle United
Monday 14th September
Brighton v Chelsea
Sheffield Utd v Wolves
More to follow…
Who is promoted this season?
Leeds United’s return to the Premier League may be the story of the season come the opening day as they kick-start their first top division campaign in 16 years.
West Brom joined them in the promotion spots and will make a return to the Premier League after two seasons away.
Fulham beat west London rivals Brentford in a play-off showdown at Wembley to secure the final spot in the top flight.
Who was relegated last season?
Norwich finished stone-cold last in the Premier League last time after failing to find a rhythm with Daniel Farke’s attacking philosophy.
Bournemouth was relegated on the final day and subsequently parted ways with long-serving iconic coach Eddie Howe.
Watford made up the bottom three after sacking Nigel Pearson with two games to go and losing both, to Man City and Arsenal.
Check out the full list of confirmed Premier League 2020/21 kits ahead of the new season.
If you’re looking for something else to watch check out our TV Guide.
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