Summary

Live Reporting

Craig Nelson, Tasnim Chowdhury, Tyrese King and Jonty Colman

  1. Get Involved - Premier League fixtures

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    I'm not the biggest fan of the Premier League as an Everton fan but I do feel it's worth mentioning that apparently we requested the final game of the season is away so that Goodison's last ever game wasn't drowned out by all the potential storylines on the final day of the season.

    Chris, Wirral

    It does seem to be that way Chris, we mentioned that earlier...

  2. Saints kick off Premier return at Newcastle

    Southampton

    Southampton are back in the Premier League after a season away, having won the Championship play-off final against Leeds.

    Saints, under Russell Martin, start their season away at Newcastle before hosting Nottingham Forest a week later.

    They then travel to Brentford before back-to-back home clashes with Manchester United and fellow newly-promoted side Ipswich.

    Southampton's first five Premier League matches:

    Newcastle United v Southampton - Saturday, 17 August (15:00 BST)

    Southampton v Nottingham Forest - Saturday, 24 August

    Brentford v Southampton - Saturday, 31 August

    Southampton v Manchester United - Saturday, 14 September

    Southampton v Ipswich Town - Saturday, 21 September

    Click here to check out all of the latest Southampton news.

    Adam ArmstrongGetty Images

  3. Get Involved

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    Winner of the Premier league playing the winner of the Championship should be the first fixture of the season.

    Jay

  4. Leicester's return to the Premier League

    Leicester City

    Leicester City, who are currently without a manager following the departure of Enzo Maresca to Chelsea, start their season at home to Tottenham on Monday, 19 August.

    Five days later, their first away game back in the Premier League takes them to Fulham.

    Their next fixtures include a trip to Crystal Palace in between clashes with Aston Villa and Everton at the King Power Stadium.

    Leicester City's first five Premier League matches:

    Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur - Monday, 19 August (20:00 BST)

    Fulham v Leicester City - Saturday, 24 August

    Leicester City v Aston Villa - Saturday, 31 August

    Crystal Palace v Leicester City - Saturday, 14 September

    Leicester City v Everton - Saturday, 21 September

    Click here to check out all of the latest Leicester City news.

    Leicester City celebrate winning the 2023/24 Championship titleGetty Images

  5. Get Involved - Premier League fixures

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    All teams play each other twice both home and away, it's completely fair and equal. I think fans worry and complain far too much about the order of things. Playing a newly promoted side first has potential pros and cons. Just roll with it and move on. People saying City have an easier run in just means it's a harder different period for them and easier for others etc.

    Mark, Cambridge

  6. Brighton's start to life with Hurzeler

    Brighton & Hove Albion

    Brighton begin life under newly-appointed manager Fabian Hurzeler with a trip to Everton on the opening weekend of the new season.

    Their first game at the Amex Stadium under the 31-year-old German - the Premier League's youngest ever manager - comes against Manchester United, the same side Roberto de Zerbi took charge of his final game as Seagulls boss against last month.

    Brighton then face a trip to Arsenal before home clashes with Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest.

    Brighton's first five fixtures of 2024-25 Premier League season:

    Everton v Brighton & Hove Albion - Saturday, 17 August (15:00 BST)

    Brighton & Hove Albion v Manchester United - Saturday, 24 August

    Arsenal v Brighton & Hove Albion - Saturday, 31 August

    Brighton & Hove Albion v Ipswich Town, Saturday, 14 August

    Brighton & Hove Albion v Nottingham Forest, Saturday 21 August

    You can read all of the latest Brighton and Hove Albion news on our dedicated club page.

    Fabian HurzelerGetty Images

  7. Get Involved - Premier League fixtures

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    Feels like Fulham always get stuck with a tough run-in. However the Cottage will be a very hard place to go to next season; new stand up and running and fresh squad after limited tournament inclusion.

    Etienne, Barnes

    Forest play all of Spurs, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United at home on midweek days. Will that be a factor for them as they are so dependent on home games for points?

    Jack

    Good start and end to the season for Forest, but December is just gross. Not looking forward to that!

    Dan in Nottingham

  8. Home comforts for West Ham's Lopetegui

    West Ham United

    West Ham's new manager Julen Lopetegui will have plenty of time to make himself feel right at home in London.

    A quirk of the fixture list means the Hammers will not be playing outside the capital until November 2, when they travel to Nottingham Forest, with all of their away games in the first three months of the season coming against fellow London clubs.

    Lopetegui's first game in charge will be at home to Aston Villa and a week later West Ham face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

    David Moyes' successor will then come head-to-head with fellow Spaniard Pep Guardiola when West Ham host defending champions Manchester City before a trip to Fulham and a home fixture against Chelsea.

    West Ham's first five games of the season:

    West Ham United v Aston Villa - Saturday, 17 August (17:30 BST)

    Crystal Palace v West Ham United - Saturday, 24 August

    West Ham United v Manchester City - Saturday, 31 August

    Fulham v West Ham United - Saturday, 14 September

    West Ham United v Chelsea - Saturday, 21 September

    BBC Sport has a dedicated Hammers page packed with news, analysis and fan views - get it here

    Julen Lopetegui smiles and signs West Ham United contractGetty Images

  9. Get Involved - Premier League fixtures

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    James: RE Nathan 09:29 BST - Crystal Palace will do well to still have those stars come the start of the season. Marc Guehi is in the shop window now too...

    I cannot believe Everton are not playing their last game at Goodison on the final day of the season. What a farce!

    Sean

  10. Everton's final season at Goodison Park

    Everton

    Everton, who are set to move to a new home at Bramley-Moore Dock for the 2025-26 season, will begin their long goodbye to Goodison Park with an opening against Brighton on Saturday, 17 August.

    But they will not end the campaign at Goodison, with reports that the club submitted a formal request to the Premier League to instead schedule its final home game on the penultimate weekend of the season.

    The club wanted to make sure that its formal farewell to the stadium they have called home since 1892 did not get lost in the potential storylines - title race, relegation and European qualification - of the final day.

    That means their last ever game at Goodison will be against newly-promoted Southampton on Sunday, 18 May.

    The only potential drawback to that plan is the fact it is the day after the FA Cup final, which is scheduled for Saturday, 17 May.

    Should Everton reach the final then the Premier League will have to reschedule the Southampton match.

    Another key date in the Toffees' final season at Goodison is the stadium's last ever Merseyside derby, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 7 December.

    Click here to view Everton's full list of their final fixtures at Goodison.

    Goodison ParkGetty Images

  11. Chelsea's start under Maresca

    Chelsea

    Chelsea's new manager Enzo Maresca faces a tough start to life at Stamford Bridge when his side open their campaign at home to defending Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday, 18 August.

    Their first away game comes against Wolves the following weekend, but either side of that, the Blues will face a two-legged play-off qualifying match to reach the Europa Conference League group stages.

    They then take on Crystal Palace at home, before trips to Bournemouth and West Ham.

    Chelsea's first five Premier League matches:

    Chelsea v Manchester City - Sunday, 18 August 16:30 BST

    Wolverhampton Wanderers v Chelsea - Saturday, 24 August

    Chelsea v Crystal Palace - Saturday, 31 August

    Bournemouth v Chelsea - Saturday, 14 September

    West Ham United v Chelsea - Saturday, 21 September

    Click here to check out Chelsea's full fixtures.

    Enzo MarescaGetty Images

  12. Get Involved - Premier League fixtures

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    To have six of the 10 'opening-day' matches on TV spread across four days makes an absolute joke of "protecting the 3pm Saturday kick-offs". Who is even watching all this football? It's too much. The lack of 3pm Saturday kick-offs is not good for the fans.

    Chris

  13. Man City's favourable run-in

    Of all teams in the Premier League, Manchester City are set to have the easiest final 10 fixtures of the season.

    They will only face three teams that finished in the top half of last season's Premier League table - Crystal Palace, Manchester United and Aston Villa.

    West Ham have the next easiest run-in, again only facing three top-half teams in their last 10 games - Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United.

    Fulham have the toughest end to the season, with six of their final 10 games coming against sides competing in Europe.

    Fixture difficulty for final 10 games of the seasonOpta

  14. Get Involved - Premier League fixtures

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    Good to see Liverpool kick off with a lunchtime game. Not had any of those in years so it’ll be a nice change.

    Dan, not being sarcastic at all

    Has anyone noticed that in the last few seasons Liverpool's first game has been against a promoted side and Chelsea has been against a top-six side?

    Anon

  15. FA Cup and the Premier League

    A new six-year agreement between the Football Association (FA) and the Premier League means there will be a few changes from the upcoming season.

    For the first time, the FA Cup quarter-finals will not clash with any Premier League fixtures, as was already the case with rounds three to five.

    The FA Cup final will not close the season - it will be played on a Saturday, the weekend before the end of the Premier League campaign - but no top-flight matches will be scheduled on that day or the Friday before the final "to allow focus on the build-up to the showpiece event".

    Premier League fixtures will return on the Sunday following the FA Cup final.

    FA Cup trophyGetty Images

  16. All change

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport

    With Jurgen Klopp replaced by Arne Slot, Liverpool are one of five top-flight sides that start the new campaign with new managers.

    Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca faces his old club - four-time champions Manchester City - on the opening weekend.

    Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham entertain Aston Villa, while the Premier League’s youngest permanent manager Fabian Hurzeler will take his Brighton team to Everton.

    Leicester, who are yet to appoint a manager, entertain Tottenham and play-off victors Southampton have a long trip to Newcastle.

  17. Get Involved - Premier League fixtures

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    Aston Villa are away in their first game, last game and on Boxing Day again. Seems to have become an annual thing.

    Dave

    City with the easiest run in again...title decided by 1st March?

    Andy, Scarborough

    Fourth season in the Premier League, c'mon Brentford!

    Ian, Brentford

  18. Liverpool face 'easiest start'

    Data from Opta has looked at the difficulty of every team's first five fixtures of the new season.

    According to their data, Brentford and West Ham have the joint-toughest start to the season, closely followed by Ipswich and Arsenal.

    Brentford will take on three of the 'big six' in their start to the season, while West Ham's first three home games all come against sides that will be competing in Europe in the coming months.

    Liverpool manager Arne Slot and his side are set to have the easiest start to the season, with four of their first five fixtures coming against sides that finished either in the bottom half of the table last season, or have been recently promoted.

    Newcastle are said to have the second-easiest start to the season, with Tottenham Hotspur being the only side to finish in the top half of the table last term that they face in their first five fixtures.

    A graphic showing the difficulty of every team's first five fixturesOpta

  19. Criminal early kick off for Liverpool?

    I wonder if former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will have greeted the timing of the Reds' opening fixture - at 12:30 BST away to Ipswich - with a wry smile.

    If you remember, the German's patience was wearing thin last season with the number of early kick-offs his side had been subjected to.

    He called the scheduling "a crime".

    Jurgen Klopp: Our turnaround of fixtures is insane

  20. Ipswich meet Liverpool - again

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport

    Ipswich's last game as a Premier League club was a 5-0 defeat at Liverpool on 11 May 2002.

    Kieran McKenna's side will play the Reds in their first game of the 2024-25 season, at Portman Road.

    I doubt many Ipswich fans thought that was likely when they opened their campaign two years ago with a 1-1 home draw with Bolton in League One.

    It is a fabulous fixture - and promises to be a baptism of fire for new Liverpool boss Arne Slot.