Stern test for Bielsa’s Leeds as Premier League new boys face champions Liverpool on first day

Champions Liverpool will kick off the defence of their first Premier League title in a mouthwatering clash against promoted Leeds United.

In what will be a first meeting in the top flight since February 2004, the Anfield fixture provides Marcelo Bielsa’s secondtier champions with the most sobering of challenges after they won the second tier by ten points less than a month ago.

Elsewhere over the weekend of 12 September – the delayed start is due to the ongoing adaptation to coronavirus – Chelsea visit Brighton and Sheffield United meet Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Fulham, Championship play-off winners, are at home to Arsenal, while the third promoted side, West Bromwich Albion, take on Leicester City.

Finally on the opening weekend, Crystal Palace meet

Southampton, Tottenham take on Everton and Newcastle go to West Ham United.

Manchester City were due to meet Aston Villa and Manchester United slated to visit Burnley, though their European commitments mean those games will be delayed.

With the season starting in mid-september due to the enforced delay of the previous one, the 2020-21 campaign is scheduled to run through to 23 May, with the winter break put in cold storage.

By the time Liverpool host Crystal Palace on that weekend they will hope a successful title defence has been completed, though clubs such as Manchester City (Everton at home), Manchester United (Wolves away) and Chelsea (Aston Villa away) will want to have something to say about that.

Leeds and West Brom will hope their final-day shootout is not a relegation one, as will Fulham and Newcastle, while Arsenal close against Brighton, Leicester at home to Spurs, Sheffield United against Burnley and Southampton at West Ham.

Liverpool and Manchester City meet on 7 November (Etihad) and 6 February (Anfield), with Manchester derbies slated for 12 December (Old Trafford) and 6 March (Etihad) – with all dates subject to change for TV coverage. North London

derbies between Arsenal and Tottenham are scheduled for 5 December (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) and 13 March (Emirates).

Midweek fixtures are at a premium as competition organisers try to fit a full season into one less month, with the first four rounds of the Carabao Cup accounting for the first four midweek slots of the campaign.

FA Cup replays have been scrapped to further ease the burden on squads.