PL 2020-21 fixtures announced: Liverpool to face Leeds in first game

SourceBBC

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Champions Liverpool will face Championship winners Leeds United in the standout opening weekend game of the 2020-21 Premier League season.

Championship play-off winners Fulham will host Arsenal, while West Bromwich Albion, the third promoted side, are at home to Leicester City.

The opening round of fixtures will take place on the weekend of 12 September.

However, Manchester City v Aston Villa and Burnley v Manchester United will be rearranged.

Those two games will not be played on the opening weekend to give City and United 30 days since their defeats in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the semi-finals of the Europa League respectively.

Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ opening matches are both scheduled for Monday, 14 September after their slightly earlier European exits.

The Blues are at Brighton, while Wolves go to Sheffield United.

The other opening weekend fixtures are Crystal Palace v Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur v Everton and West Ham United v Newcastle United.

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Exact dates and kick-off times will be confirmed when the television selections are made.

Premier League fixtures opening weekend (exact dates to change)
Crystal Palace v Southampton (12 Sep)
Fulham v Arsenal (12 Sep)
Liverpool v Leeds United (12 Sep)
Tottenham Hotspur v Everton (12 Sep)
West Bromwich Albion v Leicester City (12 Sep)
West Ham United v Newcastle United (12 Sep)
Brighton v Chelsea (14 Sep)
Sheffield United v Wolves (14 Sep)
Burnley v Manchester United (later date)
Manchester City v Aston Villa (later date)

The meeting of the champions

There can be little doubt over the glamour fixture of the opening weekend as the champions of the top two divisions go head to head.

Leeds, now under iconic Argentine boss Marcelo Bielsa, are back in the Premier League after 16 years away and have the toughest possible start.

Liverpool – English champions for the first time for 30 years – have not lost a home game in the Premier League since a 3-1 defeat by Crystal Palace in April 2017. Jurgen Klopp’s side have won 25 of their past 26 league matches at Anfield.

The Reds travel to Chelsea for their second game, before a home match against FA Cup winners Arsenal. Leeds host fellow promoted side Fulham in their second fixture.