The world of football is a restless place. Owing to all the hubbub of the transfer window and the excited anticipation of a fresh season, the fans are always restlessly eager to see their clubs’ new signings in action. In what is looked at as a preview of things to come, the pre-season also brings the footballing action back into the fore and the fanatics cannot be more grateful.
Here, we bring you the pre-season fixtures of all the Premier League clubs and their matches to keep an eye out for.
Arsenal
July 13: Sydney FC 0-2 Arsenal
July 15: Western Sydney Wanderers 1-3 Arsenal
July 19: Bayern Munich (Shanghai Stadium)
July 22: Chelsea (Beijing)
July 29: Benfica (Emirates Cup, Emirates Stadium)
July 30: Sevilla (Emirates Cup, Emirates Stadium)
Match to look out for: Arsenal v Bayern Munich, July 19
For all their consistency in bowing down to the Bavarians in the Champions League, the Gunners will be looking to pay them back in spades and send a message to their Premier League rivals.
Bournemouth
July 15: Estoril 1-2 Bournemouth
July 22: Portsmouth (Fratton Park)
July 29: QPR (Loftus Road)
July 30: Valencia (Vitality Stadium)
August 2: Yeovil Town (Huish Park)
August 6: Napoli (Vitality Stadium)
Match to look out for: Bournemouth v Napoli, August 6
The Italian side will be a solid test for Bournemouth to finish their pre-season campaign with.
Brighton & Hove Albion
July 14: Fortuna Dusseldorf 0-2 Brighton
July 22: Crawley Town (Checkatrade.com Stadium)
July 25: Southend United (Roots Hall)
July 29: Norwich City (Carrow Road)
August 1: Girona (Nou Estadi Municipal de Palamos)
August 6: Atletico Madrid (Amex Stadium)
Match to look out for: Brighton v Atletico Madrid, August 6
The newly promoted Brighton will have their mettle tested against Atletico Madrid in what will be their last pre-season fixture. Will it be a walk in the part for the Spanish giants or have Brighton reserved a few tricks up the sleeve to afford us a double take?
Burnley
July 14: Shamrock Rovers 0-4 Burnley
July 22: Kidderminster Harriers (Aggborough)
July 22: Alfreton Town (North Street)
July 25: Preston North End (Deepdale)
July 29: Nottingham Forest (City Ground)
August 1: Celta Vigo (Turf Moor)
August 5: Hannover 96 (Turf Moor)
Match to look out for: Burnley v Celta Vigo, August 1
Burnley will have their toughest challenge against Celta Vigo this term.
Chelsea
July 22: Arsenal (Beijing, China)
July 25: Bayern Munich (National Stadium, Singapore)
July 29: Inter Milan (National Stadium, Singapore)
Match to look out for: Chelsea v Arsenal, July 22
What could possibly be better as a teaser for the upcoming Premier League than an unequivocal Super Sunday fixture?
Crystal Palace
July 15: Maidstone 1-3 Crystal Palace
July 19: Liverpool (Hong Kong Stadium)
July 22: West Brom (Hong Kong – PL Asia Trophy)
August 5: FC Schalke 04 (Selhurst Park)
Match to look out for: Crystal Palace v Liverpool, July 19
Crystal Palace will love to blow Liverpool out of the water to send an early warning signal. But the Merseysiders will stop at nothing to make mincemeat out of the Selhurst Park outfit and announce their arrival.
Everton
July 13: Gor Mahia FC 1-2 Everton
July 19: FC Twente (SV De Lutte)
July 22: Genk (Luminus Arena)
August 6: Sevilla (Goodison Park)
Match to look out for: Everton v Sevilla, August 6
Everton will have home advantage when they take on the Spanish side in what will be their toughest pre-season fixture. With lashings of new signings arriving this summer, this will be Everton’s best chance to lay out the plans for the upcoming season.
Huddersfield Town
July 12: Accrington Stanley 0-1 Huddersfield
July 16: Bury 1-3 Huddersfield
July 18: SV Sandhausen (BWT Stadium)
July 22: Barnsley (Oakwell)
July 26: Udinese (John Smith’s Stadium)
August 1: Stuttgart (Austria)
August 4: Torino (Austria)
Match to look out for: Huddersfield v Torino (August 4)
Yet another new promotion, Huddersfield will have to tough it out against Torino in their last pre-season friendly.
Leicester City
July 19: West Brom (Hong Kong Stadium)
July 22: Crystal Palace/Liverpool (Hong Kong Stadium)
July 26: Luton (Kenilworth Road)
July 28: MK Dons (Stadium MK)
July 29: Wolves (Molineux)
August 1: Burton (Pirelli Stadium)
August 4: Borussia Monchengladbach (King Power Stadium)
Match to look out for: Leicester City v Crystal Palace/ Liverpool, July 22
Irrespective of who qualifies between Crystal Palace and Liverpool in the Premier League Asia Trophy, the foxes would want to love to begin the season with a cup in hand.
Liverpool
July 12: Tranmere 0-4 Liverpool
July 14: Wigan 1-1 Liverpool
July 19: Crystal Palace (Hong Kong Stadium)
July 22: West Brom/Leicester (Hong Kong Stadium)
July 29: Hertha Berlin, (Olympiastadion)
August 1: Audi Cup fixture TBC
August 5: Athletic Bilbao (Aviva Stadium)
Match to look out for: Liverpool v Crystal Palace, July 19
Liverpool will want to assert dominance on the fellow English clubs as soon as possible and the fixture against Crystal Palace will afford them an opportunity to do exactly that.
Manchester City
July 20: Manchester United (NRG Stadium, Houston)
July 26: Real Madrid (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum)
July 29: Tottenham (Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee)
August 4: West Ham (Laugardalsvollur Arena, Reykjavik)
Matches to look out for: All of them
One of the hottest rivalries in English football, the Manchester clubs will undoubtedly want to show off their new arrivals and give it their all even if it’s just a pre-season ‘friendly’. City will then face Real Madrid, Tottenham and West Ham in what should be a testing pre-season campaign.
Manchester United
July 15: Los Angeles Galaxy 2-5 Manchester United
July 17: Real Salt Lake (Rio Tinto Stadium, Utah)
July 20: Manchester City (NRG Stadium, Houston)
July 23: Real Madrid (Levi’s Stadium; Santa Clara, California)
July 26: Barcelona (FedExField; Landover, Maryland)
July 30: Valerenga IF (Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo)
August 2: Sampdoria (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
Matches to look out for: Manchester United v Manchester City, Manchester United v Real Madrid and Manchester United v FC Barcelona
These three back to back fixtures are going to be critical to boost the confidence that the Red Devils will be hoping to bring into the 2017-18 campaign in which they are playing in the UEFA Champions League after last season’s absence.
Newcastle United
July 14: Hearts 1-2 Newcastle
July 22: Preston (Deepdale)
July 26: Bradford (Valley Parade)
July 29: Mainz (Opel Arena)
August 2: Wolfsburg (AOK Stadion, Germany)
August 6: Hellas Verona (St James’ Park)
Match to look out for: Newcastle United v Wolfsburg, August 2
The Toons will face Wolfsburg in Germany in what will be their toughest fixture in the pre-season campaign.
Southampton FC
July 15: St Gallen 0-0 Southampton
July 22: Brentford (Griffin Park, London)
July 29: St Etienne (Stade Municipal de Chambery, France)
August 2: Augsburg (St Mary’s, Southampton)
August 5: Sevilla (St Mary’s Southampton)
Match to look out for: Southampton FC v Sevilla, August 5
The Spanish side who will feature in Europe’s elite competition this season is easily the Saints’ toughest challenge in the pre-season.
Stoke City FC
July 10: Neuchatel Xamax 0-1 Stoke
July 12: Young Boys 2-2 Stoke
July 15: Monaco 4-2 Stoke
July 25: Sheffield United (Bramall Lane)
July 29: Bolton (Macron Stadium)
July 30: Crewe Alexandra (Alexandra Stadium)
August 5: RB Leipzig (Red Bull Arena)
Match to look out for: Stoke City v RB Leipzig, August 5
Stoke will face the Bundesliga runner-up of the 2016/17 season in their last fixture of the pre-season in what will be their most demanding match this pre-season.
Swansea City
July 12: Barnet 1-0 Swansea
July 15: Philadelphia Union 2-2 Swansea
July 19: Richmond Kickers (City Stadium; Richmond, Virginia)
July 22: North Carolina (WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, North Carolina)
July 29: Birmingham City (St Andrews)
August 5: Sampdoria (Liberty Stadium)
Match to look out for: Swansea v Sampdoria, August 5
Facing the Italians at the Liberty Stadium is Swansea’s match to look out for in this comparatively uncomplicated pre-season.
Tottenham Hotspur
July 22: PSG (Camping World Stadium; Orlando, Florida)
July 25: Roma (Red Bull Arena; Harrison, New Jersey)
July 29: Manchester City (Nissan Stadium; Nashville, Tennessee)
August 5: Juventus (Wembley Stadium)
Match to look out for: All of them
Spurs will have to battle it out against all their pre-season oppositions as they look to start another exciting Premier League campaign on a high.
Watford
July 8: Woking 1-1 Watford
July 15: AFC Wimbledon 3-2 Watford
July 18: Viktoria Plzen (Austria)
July 22: Eibar (Austria)
July 29: Aston Villa (Vicarage Road)
August 5: TBC (Vicarage Road)
Match to look out for: Watford v Eibar, July 22
The La Liga side will provide a testing ground for Watford ahead of the new season.
West Brom
July 12: Slavia Prague 2-1 West Brom
July 19: Leicester (Hong Kong Stadium)
July 22: Crystal Palace/Liverpool (Hong Kong Stadium)
July 26: Burton (Pirelli Stadium)
July 26: Walsall (Banks’ Stadium)
July 29: Bristol Rovers (Memorial Stadium)
July 29: Slough Town (Arbour Park)
August 1: Kidderminster Harriers (Aggborough)
August 1: Port Vale (Vale Park)
August 5: Deportivo de La Coruna (Estadio Riazor)
Match to look out for: West Brom v Crystal Palace/ Liverpool, July 22:
There are a lot of contingencies at work here but given it works out in West Brom’s favour, they will have to step it up on July 22nd against either Crystal Palace or Liverpool.
West Ham
July 28: Werder Bremen (Schneverdingen, Germany)
July 29: Werder Bremen (Lohne, Germany)
August 1: Altona 93 (Hamburg, Germany)
August 4: Manchester City (Laugardalsvollur Arena, Reykjavik, Iceland)
Match to look out for: West Ham United v Manchester City, August 4
The Hammers will face the Manchester Blues hardly two weeks ahead of the new Premier League season in what will be their match to look out ahead of their new campaign.
