Liverpool will start their bid for a third league title in seven seasons Champions Liverpool will host Bournemouth on the opening weekend of the 2025-26 Premier League season, with Manchester United playing Arsenal at Old Trafford. Liverpool, who won the league in Arne Slot's first season in charge, will begin their title defence at Anfield in the curtain-raiser on Friday, 15 August. Newly promoted Sunderland, back in the top flight for the first time since 2016-17, start their campaign at home against West Ham the following day. Championship winners Leeds welcome Everton to Elland Road for the Monday night game, while Burnley - promoted back to the top flight at the first time of asking - travel to Europa League holders Tottenham, who will be led by Thomas Frank in a league match for the first time. Everton fans will have to wait until the second round of fixtures for their first league game at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, when they will face Brighton. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City will hope to bounce back from a rare trophyless season with a strong start against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. The season, which consists of 380 games over 33 weekends and five midweek rounds, will conclude on Sunday, 24 May. The Premier League has said the start date of 15 August - 82 days on from the end of the 2024-25 season - "allows for the maximum player rest time available". During the festive period, clubs will not be asked to play twice in less than 60 hours. It will be the first season with thenew Premier League TV deal in place,with every game outside of theSaturday 3pm blackoutto be broadcast live by either Sky Sports or TNT Sports. All times BST Friday, 15 August Liverpool v Bournemouth (20:00) Saturday, 16 August Aston Villa v Newcastle (12:30) Brighton v Fulham (15:00) Nottingham Forest v Brentford (15:00) Sunderland v West Ham (15:00) Tottenham v Burnley (15:00) Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester City (17:30) Sunday, 17 August Chelsea v Crystal Palace (14:00) Manchester United v Arsenal (16:30) Monday, 18 August Leeds v Everton (20:00) Data from Opta shows the difficulty of every team's first five fixtures. According to their 'power rankings' data, Manchester United have the hardest start as they play three of last season's top four in their opening five games. Arsenal, who will be looking to improve on their three consecutive second-place finishes, are perceived to have the next toughest start - with games against holders Liverpool and Manchester City, who had won the previous four titles. Unai Emery's Aston Villa are said to have the easiest start of the the campaign, despite facing Champions League qualifiers Newcastle in their first match. Leeds have been judged to have been handed the toughest opening run of the three promoted sides, with games against Arsenal and Newcastle. The devil can sometimes be in the detail with a set of fixtures. For instance, how will England boss Thomas Tuchel feel when he realises Liverpool must play Arsenal at home, Chelsea away and then old rivals Manchester City away from home immediately before the international windows in September, October and November. The Premier League confirmed within their fixtures announcement that, with nine teams in Europe - and six in the Champions League - "there is an increased likelihood of Premier League fixtures moving at relatively short notice, after our fixture announcements, should our clubs progress to the knockout rounds of these competitions". But before that, there may need to be some juggling when the first expanded lot of TV fixtures come out as, when they do, either later this month or early in July, no-one will know which of England's Champions League representatives will be playing on a Tuesday - and therefore cannot play in a coveted Sunday TV slot on the previous weekend. Manchester City will play at home before five of their first six Champions League matches, but face four away fixtures directly after - which can be irritating for managers after a long midweek away trip. Chelsea have five away games before that first half a dozen Champions League games, which can be irritating for managers after a long midweek away trip (basically managers like to moan), but do have five at home after. Manchester United's form last season might not make this the test it once was but they go to the Emirates in the single weekend between matchdays seven and eight, so Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta might hope qualification from the league stage is relatively secure by then. Arteta will presumably be interested to discover their matchday five European opponents, given that will fall in between a north London derby with Tottenham and an equally high-octane trip to Chelsea. Newcastle and Manchester City have trips to Manchester United and Nottingham Forest respectively in the 27 December fixtures - although it will be the late kick-off, when it comes, that will really cause a furore. And the holiday season is well and truly over for the Premier League by 3 January - given long trips for Burnley, Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Brentford and Chelsea have been confirmed. Manchester City new-boy Rayan Cherki will not have to wait long to get a chance to execute his stated wish to"kill" Manchester United,following their epic Europa League victory over his old club Lyon. Ruben Amorim's side go to Etihad Stadium on 13 September. Amorim has said he will start the 2025-26 season under huge pressure. The Premier League has given him Arsenal, City and Chelsea in the first give games.
Liverpool host Bournemouth to open Premier League season
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"Liverpool to Face Bournemouth in Premier League Season Opener"
Bbc News
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TruthLens AI Summary
The 2025-26 Premier League season is set to kick off with Liverpool hosting Bournemouth at Anfield on August 15, marking the beginning of Liverpool's pursuit of their third league title in seven seasons. Under the management of Arne Slot, Liverpool aims to defend their title after a successful previous campaign. The opening weekend will also feature key matches such as Manchester United facing Arsenal at Old Trafford, while newly promoted Sunderland will host West Ham the following day. Other notable matches include Leeds welcoming Everton on Monday night and Burnley visiting Tottenham, where Thomas Frank will lead his side for the first time in the league. The league's schedule is structured to maximize player rest, with the season concluding on May 24, 2026, after a total of 380 matches spread over 33 weekends and five midweek rounds. Additionally, the Premier League will implement a new broadcasting deal, ensuring that every match, except for those during the traditional Saturday 3pm blackout, will be available for viewing on Sky Sports or TNT Sports.
The fixture list has raised discussions regarding the challenges faced by various teams in the early part of the season. Manchester United is reported to have one of the toughest starts, facing three of the previous season's top four teams within their first five matches. Arsenal also faces a challenging schedule, with matches against Liverpool and Manchester City, both strong competitors. Conversely, Aston Villa is perceived to have a more favorable start, while Leeds, one of the promoted teams, faces a particularly tough opening run. The Premier League fixture announcement highlights the potential for changes in scheduling, particularly for clubs participating in European competitions, which may lead to unexpected adjustments in match timing. This season will also see clubs navigating the complexities of fixture congestion, especially during the festive period, where clubs will avoid playing twice within 60 hours, ensuring a more balanced approach to player workload throughout the season.
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