Man City to open title defence at Burnley

Guardiola’s men will kick off bid for fourth straight EPL title against ex-captain Kompany

LONDON:

Manchester City will kick off their bid for a record fourth straight Premier League title away to Burnley, managed by their former captain Vincent Kompany.

The fixture list released on Thursday confirmed the Treble winners will visit Turf Moor on August 11 to raise the curtain on the 2023/24 campaign.

It will be the second time Kompany, who won the title on four occasions as City skipper, will have faced his old side as a manager, with City winning 6-0 at the Etihad in the FA Cup quarter-finals in March.

Pep Guardiola's side, who won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in 2022/23, are seeking to become the first English team to win four successive top-flight titles.

They have dominated the Premier League in recent years, winning the title in five of the past six seasons.

Premier League debutants Luton will play their first top-flight fixture since 1992 away to Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton the following day.

The other promoted side, Sheffield United, kick off with a home game against Crystal Palace.

The most eye-catching fixture of the opening weekend will be at Stamford Bridge, where Mauricio Pochettino begins life as Chelsea manager against Liverpool, with both sides looking to bounce back after disappointing campaigns.

Arsenal, who finished second in the Premier League, open at home to Nottingham Forest, while fellow Champions League qualifiers Newcastle host Aston Villa and Manchester United begin against Wolves at Old Trafford.

Ange Postecoglou's first game in charge of Tottenham will be away to Brentford.

Bournemouth host Europa Conference League winners West Ham, and Everton, looking to avoid a third straight relegation scrap, begin at home to Fulham.

City, who finished five points clear of Arsenal last season, travel to the Gunners' Emirates Stadium in early October.

Old Trafford will host the first Manchester derby since City matched United's Treble-winning feat of 1999 at the end of that month, with the champions meeting Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool in late November.

The schedule, returning to normal after the 2022/23 season was interrupted by the World Cup in Qatar, includes a mid-season break, which will take place in mid-January, with the 10 fixtures split across two weekends.

The campaign finishes on May 19, 2024.