Liverpool will launch the 2025-26 Premier League season with a home match against Bournemouth to begin its title defense, while Manchester United hosts Arsenal in a marquee game elsewhere in the opening round.
Liverpool will be bidding for a third league championship in six years, likely with Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz in its squad, and will play the first match of the season in a Friday night start at Anfield on Aug. 15.
A tough first month for Arne Slot’s champions includes matches against fellow Champions League qualifiers — Newcastle away in the second round, followed by a home match against Arsenal a week later.
Arsenal, which finished second for a third straight year last season, heads to Old Trafford for its first game and will play Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle in its opening six matches.
United will be looking to improve on its disappointing 15th-place finish last season and has a difficult start, with a Manchester derby away to City in the fourth round of games and a home match against Chelsea in the fifth round.
The Premier League released its fixture schedule for the 2025-26 season on Wednesday, giving teams and their fans a chance to start planning less than a month since the last campaign finished.
It was a big day for Everton, which bade farewell to its long-time home at Goodison Park at the end of last season and found out who’ll be the first opponent in its new state-of-the-art, 53,000-capacity stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. That’s Brighton on Aug. 23, in the second round of games.
Thomas Frank ’s first Premier League game in charge of Tottenham after replacing Ange Postecoglou will be at home to promoted Burnley on Aug 16.
That comes three days after Frank’s competitive debut with Tottenham — the Europa League champion — against Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup.
Sunderland’s first Premier League game since the 2016-17 season is at home to West Ham, while Leeds hosts Everton first after returning to the top flight following a two-year absence.
Key matches
Liverpool vs. Arsenal (weekend of Aug 30-31)
Manchester City vs. Manchester United (weekend of Sept 13-14)
Arsenal vs. Manchester City (weekend of Sept 20-21)
Liverpool vs. Manchester United (weekend of Oct. 18-19)
Manchester City vs. Liverpool (weekend of Nov. 8-9)
Arsenal vs. Liverpool (midweek of Jan. 6-8)
Manchester United vs. Manchester City (weekend of Jan. 17-18)
Liverpool vs. Manchester City (weekend of Feb. 7-8)
Manchester City vs. Arsenal (weekend of April 18-19)
Manchester United vs. Liverpool (weekend of May 2-3)
Congestion
Manchester City and Chelsea are currently playing at the Club World Cup, which means they might be in action in the United States up to the final in mid-July. In that case, they’ll have barely a month’s break until the Premier League season starts.
This coming season sits between the Club World Cup and the men’s World Cup, also in north America, so some players will have little rest.
There should be slightly less chaos for clubs during the festive period, with the Premier League ensuring no two rounds of fixtures take place within 60 hours of each other.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
