EPL: Liverpool to begin title defence against Leeds United

The reigning Premier League champions Liverpool will be starting their title defence on a tricky note as they have been pitched to face newly-promoted Leeds United on the opening weekend of the 2020/21 season.

While the Reds held sway in the elite division, Leeds were the team to beat in the Championship where they did not only secure promotion but also finished as the number one team from the second-tier.

The potential explosive encounter will be played on Saturday, September 12, at Anfield.

While Leeds have a date with Liverpool, the other two newly promoted teams West Brom and Fulham also have mouth-watering ties to start out with it in the Premier League.

According to the fixtures released on Friday, new boys Fulham host Arsenal in an opening weekend London derby and West Brom take on Leicester City at the Hawthorns.

The game at the Hawthorns potentially has three Nigerian players on the cast depending on how the transfer business goes in the coming days.

While Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi are with the Foxes, Semi Ajayi is towering in the Baggies’ defence.

Elsewhere on the opening weekend, Crystal Palace take on Southampton at Selhurst Park while Tottenham host Everton and West Ham face Newcastle at the London Stadium.

However, Manchester City v Aston Villa and Burnley v Manchester United have been postponed to allow City and United extra time to recover from their recent European campaigns.

This invariably means City’s first game as they hope to reclaim the title from Liverpool will be at Wolves on September 19, while Manchester United play Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on that same weekend.

As reported by Sky Sports, there are also delays for the Blues who will be playing away to Brighton, and Wolves, who begin with a trip to Sheffield United, because of their European involvement, which ended around a week earlier than the Manchester clubs.

Those fixtures will take place on Monday, September 14.

Premier League 2020/21 – opening weekend fixtures

C. Palace v Southampton – Sept 12

Fulham v Arsenal – Sept 12

Liverpool v Leeds – Sept 12

Tottenham v Everton – Sept 12

West Brom v Leicester City – Sept 12

West Ham v Newcastle – Sept 12

Brighton v Chelsea – Sept 14

Sheff Utd v Wolves – Sept 14

Burnley v Man Utd – Postponed

Man City v Aston Villa – Postponed