The champions may get top billing but it is Jose Mourinho under lights that really catches the eye.
Sky Sports have announced their first two months of matches for the 2016-17 Premier League season. Champions Leicester City start their defence away to Hull City with the lunchtime kick-off in five short weeks.
Every club features in the first two months, but as always there are a couple of eye-catching match-ups. For novelty value and drama it will be hard to top Jose Mourinho’s home debut as Manchester United manager against Southampton for the first Friday night fixture of the new £5.14billion TV rights deal, on August 19th.
Arsenal v Liverpool is the pick of the bunch on the opening weekend, with Spurs v Liverpool on the following Saturday also standing out as we get our first glimpse of Jurgen Klopp’s first full season at the helm at Anfield.
There is a lunchtime Manchester Derby in early September and Chelsea-Liverpool on September 16th may be the first ‘Fantastic Friday’ in Premier League history.
See the full list of televised fixtures below, courtesy of premier leag.
As a bonus for Irish viewers, Sky Sports have also acquired the 3pm Saturday kick-offs package. Teh first two months of these are listed below.
13 August: Everton v Tottenham
20 August: Burnley v Liverpool
27 August: Watford v Arsenal
10 September: Stoke v Tottenham
17 September: Hull v Arsenal
24 September: Swansea v Manchester City