Chelsea & City kick off new season PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 05 July 2012 21:49
THE MATCHES involving Champions League winners Chelsea and Barclays Premier League champions Manchester City will open the new campaign live on television. The Blues' visit to Wigan Sunday, August 19 (kick-off 13.30hrs) will be the first of 42 top-flight games to be screened by Sky Sports between the start of the season and November, the broadcaster has confirmed.
They will be closely followed by City, who host promoted Southampton later the same day (kick-off 16:00hrs), with Manchester United in action against Everton at Goodison Park the following evening.
Every Premier League club will be featured at least twice, while the list of games includes five major derbies from the midlands, north London, Tyne and Wear, Merseyside and the north west.
Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, said: “We're all looking forward to the start of the Premier League and we begin with a bang; Champions League winners Chelsea, Premier League Champions Manchester City and Manchester United all in our opening weekend.
"These selections provide our viewers with huge head-to-heads, major derbies and every team at least twice, all in the first three months of the season.
"We have the biggest names providing the most insightful analysis and commentary plus a wealth of unrivalled support programming. I'm sure it'll be another fascinating football season on Sky Sports."
Play-off winners West Ham will feature for the first time when they travel to Swansea on August 25, while Reading entertain Tottenham three weekends later.
Sunday, September 23 sees Liverpool host Manchester United and Arsenal visit City, while the Gunners will welcome Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium the following Saturday.
Sunderland will attempt to gain revenge for their derby defeat last season when Newcastle return to the Stadium of Light on Sunday, October 21, a day after Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas attempts to gain revenge on former employers Chelsea at White Hart Lane, while the first Merseyside derby takes place at Goodison the following Saturday.
 

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