Man City to start title defence at Arsenal

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 on Thursday as it unveiled the fixtures for the 2018/19 season.

It will also be new Arsenal manager Unai Emery’s first in English football’s top flight.

The exact date of the game will be set 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 quarterfinals of the Champions League last season – in October.

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

Manchester United begin their league campaign at home to Leicester 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.

The final round of Premier League fixtures, scheduled for May 12, will see Manchester City away to Brighton.