Champions Manchester City start their Premier League defence with a trip to Spurs as they look for a first ever win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
City have found life tough since Spurs’ new ground was completed, losing all three of their games there so far, with Heung-Min Son and Giovani Lo Celso on target in a 2-0 Premier League win last season.
Newly-promoted Norwich are the first visitors to the Etihad Stadium on August 21, before Arsenal follow them to the north west a week later.
We remain none the wiser as to whether Arsenal have actually made any improvement this season and whether Mikel Arteta has the acumen to restore the club to old glories.
Their opening seven games have been a complete mixed bag. They started with three consecutive defeats – surprisingly to Brentford and then less surprisingly to Chelsea and Man City (5-0).
This was then followed by ground out wins over Norwich and Burnley before everything seemed to click in that impressive north London derby win over Tottenham.
Jürgen Klopp hailed a ‘really professional’ performance from his players after Liverpool beat Norwich City 3-0 in their opening fixture of the Premier League season on Saturday evening.
The Reds got their 2021-22 campaign off to the best possible start with goals from Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah at Carrow Road.
Jota opened the scoring after 26 minutes of the contest before fine finishes followed from Firmino and Salah in the second
period.
Afterwards Jurgen Klopp had this to say about the victory, Mo Salah’s record breaking goal and the return of Virgil Van Dijk.
Bruno Fernandes scored an opening-day hat-trick as Manchester United swept Leeds aside with a devastating second-half display.
The Portugal midfielder opened the scoring on the half-hour mark at a packed Old Trafford, but Luke Ayling’s thunderous strike drew Leeds level early in the second half.
Mason Greenwood restored the hosts’ lead with a crisp finish less than two minutes later, before Fernandes’ low shot was ruled to have crossed the line by referee Paul Tierney after a check of goalline technology.
The 26-year-old quickly completed his hat-trick with a thumping finish from Victor Lindelof’s pass, before Fred added United’s fourth goal in 14 minutes from Paul Pogba’s cross – the Frenchman’s fourth assist of the afternoon.
New season, same old Arsenal!
Shaky at the back, toothless going forward, this all felt very familiar as Mikel Arteta’s men were soundly beaten 2-0 by Brentford. With games against Chelsea and Manchester City coming up this already looks like a long season ahead for the Gunners.
Afterwards Mikel Arteta cut a frustrated figure in his post match interview telling Arsenal Media:
Leicester beat Man City 1-0 to win the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday, with Kelechi Iheanacho snatching the headlines away from Jack Grealish.
City’s new big-money signing made his debut as a substitute, but it was their old man Iheanacho whose late winner settled the match.
There were no goals in the first half despite a few decent chances testing both keepers. Ilkay Gundogan forced a good save out of Kasper Schmeichel with a well-struck free-kick inside ten minutes.
Leicester then showed their creativity with James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Jamie Vardy working well together, but failing to find the net.
Premier League champions Manchester City has broken the British transfer record by completing the signing of Jack Grealish for £100m from Aston Villa.
The England international has signed a six-year contract and is expected to make his debut in the Community Shield clash with Leicester City at Wembley.
“I am incredibly happy to have joined Manchester City, City are the best team in the country with a manager considered to be the best in the world – it’s a dream come true to be part of this club,” Grealish said.
Manchester United will host rivals Leeds United at Old Trafford on the opening day of the 2021/22 Premier League season.
United face a possibly season-defining run of games in October and November, which starts with a trip to Leicester on October 16, the first showdown with Liverpool at Old Trafford on October 23, and a visit to Tottenham on October 30.
November 6 marks the first Manchester derby of the season as champions Manchester City travel to Old Trafford, before United head to Champions League winners Chelsea on November 27 before rounding off the month by hosting Arsenal on November 30.
Liverpool will kick off the 2021/22 Premier League season with a trip to take on newly-promoted Norwich City at Carrow Road on August 14.
Jurgen Klopp’s side, who finished in third place last season, host Chelsea and champions Man City on August 28 and October 2 respectively, before they face Man Utd at Old Trafford on October 23.
The first Merseyside derby of the season takes place at Goodison on the evening of November 30, while Leeds United visit Anfield on Boxing Day, before the Reds bring in the New Year by taking on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on January 1.
Arsenal and Inter Milan have canceled their pre-season tour to the USA due to a number of positive COVID-19 cases at the club.
According to The Athletic a small number of the travelling party have tested positive for the virus, disrupting the club’s preparations for the new season.
Mikel Arteta’s side was due to fly out to America this week for the pre-season Florida Cup where they were scheduled to play two games during their stay in America, competing alongside Inter Milan, Everton and Millonarios.
Arsenal was scheduled to take on Inter on Sunday, July 25 and then meet the winner of Everton or Millonarios on July 28.