- Other fixtures from the “Leaked” Premier League opening weekend include Brighton vs Arsenal, Newcastle vs Liverpool, Southampton vs Chelsea and Wolves vs Manchester United
A selection of next season’s Premier League fixtures have allegedly been ‘leaked’ online just three days before their official release.
The full schedule for the 2022/23 campaign is set to be released at 9am on Thursday, but football fans believe they already have a glimpse of the first eight weeks of the season as well as matches over Christmas and New Year.
Two lists of so-called ‘leaked’ fixtures have been circulating on social media over the past 24 hours, which show eight rounds of games from 6 August to 24 September and then another eight from 26 December to 11 February.
However, the accuracy of these lists remains highly dubious – especially given there are no midweek fixtures included on either list.
The first round of midweek games next season is scheduled to be carried out from Tuesday 30 August to Thursday 1 September, casting doubt over the leak’s credibility.
It also fails to take into account a planned international break on the weekend of 24 September, a date which obtains a full list of fixtures despite the pause in schedule.
England, for instance, have Nations League fixtures in store on 23 and 26 September, meaning Premier League teams will not be in action that weekend.
Though if the order is at least proved correct, Manchester City will begin their Premier League title defence at home to the very same team they retained it against last month.
Aston Villa are supposedly set to visit the Etihad again on Saturday 6 August, three months after they gave Pep Guardiola’s men a huge scare on the final day of the previous campaign before succumbing to a dramatic late comeback.
Of the newly-promoted sides, Bournemouth are apparently going away to Everton on the opening weekend, Nottingham Forest are hosting Crystal Palace and Fulham are visiting London rivals West Ham.
The first match pitting two Big Six clubs also involves City, with Chelsea allegedly making the trip to Manchester on the weekend of 20 August.
Erik ten Hag will kick off his Manchester United tenure away at Wolves if the leak is accurate, with Newcastle, Brighton, Leicester and Tottenham also to come in his first five matches.
Premier League title rivals City and Liverpool will allegedly go head to head for the first time on the weekend of 17 September, which will see the champions head to Anfield.
The first match between Big Six clubs will see City host Chelsea on the weekend of 20 August
Erik ten Hag’s tenure as Manchester United boss will allegedly begin away at Wolves
As for the rumoured festive schedule, a London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea appears the best of the Boxing Day fixtures, while bitter foes Leeds and Man United are down to lock horns on 2 January.
City and Liverpool then do battle again in a game which could go a long way to deciding the title’s destination on 21 January.
Of course, these fixtures are simply online speculation for now ahead of the official Premier League release on Thursday.
‘LEAKED’ PREMIER LEAGUE OPENING WEEKEND
Brighton vs Arsenal
Everton vs Bournemouth
Leicester vs Leeds
Manchester City vs Aston Villa
Newcastle vs Liverpool
Nottingham Forest vs Crystal Palace
Southampton vs Chelsea
Tottenham vs Brentford
West Ham vs Fulham
Wolves vs Manchester United
First published in Daily Mail (UK)
