The full list of fixtures for the 2015/2016 season in the Premier League and Football League were announced this morning at 9am.
It’s an interesting opening day in the Premiership, with 2 promoted clubs (Bournemouth & Norwich) being handed home ties, Watford travel to Everton.
Slaven Bilic will be given baptism of fire to Premier League management at the Emirates when he takes charge of West Ham for their first league game. Champions Chelsea host Swansea City.
We only have to wait one week for a big moment in the title race as Manchester City entertain Chelsea on 15th August.
The North London derbies will take place at The Emirates on 7th November, the return fixture at White Hart Lane will be held on 5th March.
On Merseyside, both Red and Blue halves in the City of Liverpool will have scrolled down the list to see their fixtures are to be held at Goodison Park on 3rd October and Anfield on 27th February.
The Manchester derbies take place on 24th October and 19th March at Old Trafford and then the Etihad.
Sunderland will have an opportunity to make it 6 consecutive Tyne-Wear derby wins (the biggest winning streak in the history of the derby) when they face Newcastle at the Stadium of Light on 24th October, the return fixture at St James’s Park is on 19th March.
West Ham would have been praying for the final fixture of the season to be their last at Upton Park. Alas, they’ll be travelling to Stoke with their final home game being against Swansea on 7th May, the week before.
Ofcourse the promoted clubs will be looking at their first game, but it’s likely they’ll scroll straight to the bottom of the list to see their run-in. Bournemouth definitely have the toughest, facing Tottenham, Aston Villa, Everton and Manchester United away and Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea at home in their last 8 fixtures of the campaign.
Here’s the full first day lists for the Football League:
Premier League
Bournemouth v Aston Villa
Arsenal v West Ham United
Chelsea v Swansea City
Everton v Watford
Leicester City v Sunderland
Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur
Newcastle United v Southampton
Norwich City v Crystal Palace
Stoke City v Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Manchester City
Championship
Birmingham City v Reading
Blackburn Rovers v Wolverhampton
Bolton Wanderers v Derby County
Brentford v Ipswich Town
Brighton v Nottingham Forest
Cardiff City v Fulham
Charlton Athletic v Queens Park Rangers
Hull City v Huddersfield Town
Leeds United v Burnley
Preston North End v Middlesbrough
Rotherham United v Milton Keynes Dons
Sheffield Wednesday v Bristol City
League 1
Burton Albion v Scunthorpe United
Chesterfield v Barnsley
Colchester United v Blackpool
Coventry City v Wigan Athletic
Crewe Alexandra v Port Vale
Doncaster Rovers v Bury
Fleetwood Town v Southend United
Gillingham v Sheffield United
Rochdale v Peterborough United
Shrewsbury Town v Millwall
Swindon Town v Bradford City
Walsall v Oldham Athletic
League 2
A.F.C. Wimbledon v Plymouth Argyle
Accrington Stanley v Luton Town
Bristol Rovers v Northampton Town
Cambridge United v Newport County
Exeter City v Yeovil Town
Hartlepool United v Morecambe
Leyton Orient v Barnet
Mansfield Town v Carlisle United
Oxford United v Crawley Town
Portsmouth v Dagenham & Redbridge
Stevenage v Notts. County
Wycombe Wanderers v York City