Tough startto defence oftitle forCity

Premier League champions Manchester City will start their title defence at Arsenal.

The 2018-19 fixtures, announced yesterday, handed Pep Guardiola’s team an Emirates Stadium opener on the weekend of August 11-12 – a match which will also mark the Premier League bow of the Gunners’ recentlyappointed Spanish boss Unai Emery.

City do not face another top-six side until the trip to Liverpool in October.

Games against newlypromoted trio Wolves, Cardiff and Fulham are part of a sequence which also includes Huddersfield, Newcastle and Brighton.

“Manchester Citystarttheir titledefence atArsenal”

It is a similar story for neighbours United, who begin at home to Leicester.

The 2017-18 runnersup have Tottenham at home in their third game, with Brighton, Burnley, Watford, Wolves, West Ham and Newcastle their other early season opponents.

After hosting West Ham, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool face Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City in a run which also includes Crystal Palace, Brighton, Leicester and Southampton.

Tottenham, who have until today to decide whether to return to Wembley next season while work on their new stadium is completed, have been given an away opener, starting their second successive campaign at Newcastle.

North London rivals Arsenal face a tough first two games without Arsene Wenger.

After the Gunners host the champions, the team now managed by Emery are at Chelsea.