Man City to start title defence at Arsenal; Man U face Leicester

LONDON: Premier League champions Manchester City will begin their title defence away to Arsenal on the weekend of August 11-12, the English Premier League announced Thursday as it unveiled the fixtures for the 2018/19 season.

The match will also be new Arsenal manager Unai Emery’s first in English football’s top flight. The exact date of the game will be confirmed when television broadcasting schedules are drawn up.

City amassed 100 points and scored 106 goals while finishing 19 points clear of second-placed Manchester United in the 2017/18 season.

Following the Arsenal game, City do not face another top-six team until they are away to Liverpool — who beat Pep Guardiola’s men in the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season — in October.

EASY GAMES

In between those two eye-catching fixtures, City will play the newly-promoted trio of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Cardiff City and Fulham, as well as last year’s promoted teams Huddersfield, Newcastle and Brighton.

Manchester United begin their league campaign at home to Leicester City and face a potentially tricky encounter in their third game when Tottenham Hotspur come to Old Trafford.

Jose Mourinho’s side face Brighton and Hove Albion, Burnley, Watford and Wolves in other early-season games.

Liverpool, the losing Champions League finalists, appear to have he toughest start of any of the likely title-contenders.

They begin their Premier League season at home to West Ham before facing Crystal Palace, Brighton and Leicester.

Tottenham have until Friday to decide if they will still be playing home games at Wembley this season.