Champions Manchester City’s season opener against Chelsea will pit Pep Guardiola against his former assistant Enzo Maresca, who was appointed Chelsea boss earlier this month. Photo: Reuters
Manchester City will begin their Premier League title defence away to Chelsea on the opening weekend of the new season after the fixture list was published yesterday.
The match on August 18 will pit Pep Guardiola against his former assistant Enzo Maresca, who was appointed Chelsea boss earlier this month after guiding Leicester to promotion last term.
FA Cup winners Manchester United will host the opening game of the campaign when Fulham visit Old Trafford on August 16.
The following day, newly promoted Ipswich, back in the Premier League for the first time in 22 years, welcome Liverpool’s new manager Arne Slot, who has replaced the long-serving Jurgen Klopp.
Leicester, back in the top-flight after one season in the Championship and yet to name Maresca’s successor, will host Tottenham on August 19.
Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton reign will begin away to Everton while new West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui will welcome Aston Villa.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, who finished as runners-up behind City for a second straight season, host Wolves.
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Opening Premier League Fixtures
Friday, August 16: Manchester United v Fulham
Saturday, August 17: Ipswich Town v Liverpool, Arsenal v Wolves, Everton v Brighton, Newcastle v Southampton, Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth, West Ham v Aston Villa
Sunday, August 18: Brentford v Crystal Palace, Chelsea v Manchester City
Monday, August 19: Leicester City v Tottenham
Meanwhile, if England tempered lofty expectations as a favourite for Euro 2024 with a nervy and unconvincing 1-0 win over Serbia, the Three Lions will hope to make a firmer statement when they clash with Denmark on Thursday and build on their Group C lead.
Marauding midfielder Jude Bellingham’s first-half brilliance was the one major bright spot in a tournament opener that likely sent Gareth Southgate back to the drawing board as he continues to figure out how to make all his talented pieces fit.
“This team is still coming together,” Southgate said. “Everybody’s expecting us to waltz through. There’s a lot of hard work ahead.”
Denmark can exact some revenge against England, who edged them 2-1 in the semi-finals of the 2020 European Championship.
The Danes drew 1-1 with Slovenia in their opener on Saturday, an afternoon flushed with emotion at the return to the Euros of midfielder Christian Eriksen.
Three years after he suffered a cardiac arrest during play at the last tournament, Eriksen scored the Danes’ lone goal.
He was the only Danish player to maintain his level throughout the game, however, and they conceded an equaliser in a disappointing result.
Denmark have tasted glory on the international stage, winning the 1992 European Championship – an accomplishment that has eluded England in their 10 previous appearances.
Their loss to Italy in the 2020 final was the Three Lions’ best result.
On the heels of his outstanding season at Real Madrid, the 20-year-old Bellingham showed on Sunday that he is ready to shoulder the heavy England expectations, joining fellow Englishman Michael Owen as only players to score at both a European Championship and a World Cup before the age of 21.
Manager Gareth Southgate was delighted with the player’s impact.
“He writes his own script,” ¬he said. “The timing of his runs, it was a super bit of play in the buildup to the goal as well. I think all of our forward ¬players looked really good. I am confident we will score goals.”
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was pressed into action with a late leaping save to preserve the win, as England have gone five consecutive Euro group stage matches without conceding a goal, stretching back to the 2016 game against Wales.
England had to fend off an attacking Serbia in the second half on Saturday, and Southgate saw the positives of his patched-up back line being tested.
“I’m pleased that we had to show a different side. We had to show that resilience to defend our box because I think as a group that really builds a huge spirit,” Southgate said.
In Southgate’s debrief, he will have undoubtedly looked at lack of production from defender Kieran Tripper and midfielder Phil Foden on the left side, particularly after Foden’s breakout season with Manchester City.
England were fortunate to open the tournament with a victory, but it did not entirely feel like one – they have the chance to ramp-up the feel-good factor against Denmark. | AFP, Reuters
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