When does the English Premier League season start in 2021? Complete EPL Matchday 1 schedule, matchups

The English Premier League schedule for the 2021-22 season is out and it’s back to the traditional calendar after the interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

The 2021-2022 EPL season will open on August 14, a month earlier compared to the last campaign which kicked off on Sept. 12 due to the pandemic-related scheduling challenges. That season still ended on May 23, leading to fixture congestion throughout the campaign.

The 380-match English Premier League 2021-2022 season will stretch nine months, coming to a close on May 22, 2022.

The full slate for Matchday 1 of the new season follows below. Detailed TV info is expected at a later date.

When does the English Premier League season start in 2021?

Date: Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021

Time: 10 a.m. ET

Matchday 1 Schedule (home team listed first):

• Brentford vs. Arsenal
• Burnley vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
• Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace
• Everton vs. Southampton
• Leicester City vs. Wolves
• Manchester United vs. Leeds United
• Newcastle United vs. West Ham United
• Norwich City vs. Liverpool
• Tottenham vs. Manchester City
• Watford vs. Aston Villa

Opening weekend will feature two marquee matchups involving both Manchester clubs.

Defending champions Manchester City will open their title defense with a trip to London to face Tottenham Hotspur. With all the speculation regarding Harry Kane’s future and whether he could end up at Man City, this could set up a compelling storyline to start the season. It will also mark the EPL debut of Tottenham’s new manager, expected to be Paulo Fonseca.

Manchester United will be the team playing in Manchester on opening day when they host Marcelo Bielsa and Leeds United. This same fixture produced a 6-2 result in favor of the Red Devils last December.

There’s curiosity to see whether Leeds can take another step forward under the Argentina manager after finishing in 9th place in the previous EPL campaign. Manchester United will be eager to start on the right foot in its quest to make a run for the title after most recently finishing 12 points behind champs Manchester City.

The three promoted sides — Brentford, Norwich City and Watford — all open at home against top sides in Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa and all three opponents are expected to be stronger in 2021-22.