The 2024/25 Premier League season kicks-off with an exciting match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford on Friday, August 16. Manchester United, led by Erik ten Hag, who is in talks to sign a new contract, will be aiming for a strong start after finishing eighth last season, their lowest in Premier League history. They will be wary of Fulham, who defeated them 2-1 last season with Alex Iwobi scoring the latest winning goal by a visiting team at Old Trafford.
Liverpool’s new head coach, Arne Slot, will begin his Premier League tenure with an early Saturday kick-off against newly promoted Ipswich Town. Ipswich, under Kieran McKenna, have earned back-to-back promotions and are returning to the Premier League after a 22-year absence. Their last Premier League match in 2002 was also against Liverpool, ending in a 5-0 defeat.
Fabian Hurzeler, at 31 years and 180 days, will become the youngest permanent manager in Premier League history when he leads Brighton & Hove Albion against Everton on Saturday afternoon. This match will also mark the final opening weekend at Goodison Park, as Everton will move to their new stadium in the 2025/26 season.
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Arsenal, aiming to become Premier League champions for the first time since 2003/04, will start their campaign at home against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Arsenal has lost both previous league openers against Wolves, in the 1946/47 and 1963/64 seasons. Meanwhile, Southampton, newly promoted, will travel to Newcastle United for their season Premier League season kicks-off opener, and AFC Bournemouth will visit Nottingham Forest, whose coach Nuno Espirito Santo has never lost on the opening weekend.
Saturday concludes with a match between West Ham United and Aston Villa, featuring two Basque managers: Julen Lopetegui for West Ham and Unai Emery for Aston Villa. Both managers were born less than 40km apart in the Gipuzkoa region of northern Spain.
On Sunday, champions Manchester City will start their Premier League season kicks-off and title defense at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. This match pits Pep Guardiola against his former assistant, Enzo Maresca, now Chelsea’s head coach. History suggests that a team winning the Premier League title rarely loses their first match of the next season, but Chelsea’s strong opening-weekend record will pose a significant challenge.
Sunday’s Premier League season kicks-off begins with a London derby between Crystal Palace and Brentford. Crystal Palace, in excellent form under Oliver Glasner, aim to extend their unbeaten streak, while Brentford have never lost an opening-weekend Premier League match.
The opening weekend concludes with a high-scoring fixture on Monday night, as Leicester City hosts Tottenham Hotspur. Leicester, the 2015/16 champions, return to the Premier League and will face Spurs in what is traditionally a goal-filled encounter. Spurs’ head coach Ange Postecoglou will face an uncertain challenge, as Leicester has yet to appoint a successor to Enzo Maresca.
The Premier League has adjusted its calendar due to the expansion of UEFA club competitions, featuring 33 weekends, four midweek rounds, and one Bank Holiday. The mid-season break has been removed, starting the season in mid-August to allow for a three-week summer break post-European Championship. The league has committed to providing at least six weeks’ notice for UK broadcast selections until December 2024, and five weeks’ notice from January 2025 until Matchweek 37.