Manchester City will face three of last season’s top seven clubs in their first seven Premier League fixtures in the forthcoming season.
City will be Brighton and Hove Albion’s first opponents in the Premier League as they travel down to the Amex Arena on the first day of the season.
They will host Everton, Liverpool, and Crystal Palace in between tricky trips south to play Bournemouth, Watford and Champions Chelsea before the end of September.
There is the prospect of an emotional return to the Etihad on the weekend of December 2/3 for Pablo Zabaleta who signed for West Ham after leaving City at the end of last season.
City also face the possibility of a difficult sequence of games starting at the end of March with a return trip to Goodison Park to face Everton.
The Manchester derby at the Etihad on the weekend of April 7/8 would be either side of a possible Champions League quarter final which would be followed by a trip to Wembley to face Tottenham the week after on April 14/15.
United, who today boosted their defensive ranks by completing the signing of Victor Lindelof from Benfica for a fee believed to be £31m, have an altogether easier start to the season as well as a kinder April during Champions League quarter finals.
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The 22-year old Swedish international centre back, who signed a four year deal, with an option for a further year, will be able to ease himself into a United side expected to see him partner Ivory Coast defender Eric Bailly.
The move could see one of Phil Jones or Chris Smalling leaving Old Trafford as Jose Mourinho’s squad building begins in earnest.
The first Manchester derby of the Premier League season comes late this season, with City travelling to Old Trafford on the weekend of December 9/10.
The Reds have a kinder first seven fixtures. After a trip to Macedonia to play against Real Madrid for the UEFA Supercup they host West Ham, Leicester City, Everton, and Crystal Palace and will prepare for trips to Swansea City, Stoke City, and Southampton before the end of September.
With one eye on Champions League quarter finals, the Reds have a less stressful month April than City with Swansea and West Brom visiting either side of the Manchester derby at Old Trafford and Champions League quarter final dates.