Nairobi News

Defending champions Manchester City will travel to face Tottenham in London on the opening weekend of the 2020/2021 English Premier League (EPL) season.

In the fixture roster released yesterday by the league body, the nine-month competition will commence on August 14, with a decision on whether fans will be allowed back to the stadiums yet to be made.

On a huge first round of fixtures in mid-August, City’s trip to north London is the stand-out game – and the match could even see Harry Kane face Spurs in his first game for City should his rumoured summer move come to fruition.

Elsewhere on the opening weekend, Manchester United host Leeds, Liverpool travel to newly-promoted Norwich, and Chelsea host a London derby against Crystal Palace.

But it’s not their opening game Tuchel will be most concerned about, with visits to Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham coming in the first five matches of the season, before the Blues host champions City in their sixth game.

It is a far easier start for Manchester United, meanwhile, with Leeds, Southampton, Wolves, Newcastle, West Ham, Aston Villa and Everton ahead of the first international break of the season.

In fact, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side don’t face a top-six rival until October 16 when they travel to Leicester, before hosting Liverpool the following weekend.

On the final day of the season, Chelsea, Leicester, Liverpool and Manchester City will all enjoy home advantage, facing Watford, Southampton, Wolves and Aston Villa respectively.

Fans of the three promoted teams – Norwich, Watford and Brentford – will of course be desperate to find out who they play on the opening weekend of their return to the Premier League, and it is a huge welcome back for the Championship champions.

The Canaries welcome Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool to Carrow Road, looking to secure a first victory over the Merseyside giants since April 1994.