Mourinho, Guardiola to do battle on sept 10
LONDON — Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola will not have long to wait before they face off for the first time in the English Premier League.
LONDON — Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola will not have long to wait before they face off for the first time in the English Premier League.
The fixtures for the 2016-’17 Premier League season, which starts on the weekend of Aug 13 to 14, were announced yesterday and the first Manchester derby — featuring Mourinho’s United and Guardiola’s City — will be played on Sept 10 at Old Trafford. That is in the fourth round of games. Mourinho was handed a trip to Bournemouth for his first league game in charge of United, while Guardiola’s first league game as City manager is at home to Sunderland.
There was plenty of controversy and animosity when Guardiola and Mourinho went head-to-head while coaching Spanish powerhouses Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively, from 2010-2013, with incidents on and off the field.
Mourinho will return to Stamford Bridge to play former club Chelsea on Oct 22. The other Manchester derby is on Feb 25.
Leicester, who stunned the football world by claiming the Premier League title last season at pre-season odds of 5000-1, but who are listed as 25-1 odds to retain the title, will start their title defence away to promoted Hull.
The other highlights of the first round of fixtures are Arsenal-Liverpool and Chelsea-West Ham, which will be current Italy coach Antonio Conte’s first game as Chelsea manager. Arsenal have the toughest start of all the likely title contenders, with their second game away to Leicester in a match between the top two from last season.
West Ham’s first league match at their new home, the Olympic Stadium, will be against Bournemouth on Aug 20.
Leicester play United in the Community Shield on Aug 7, the traditional curtain-raiser for the English season between the previous season’s league champions and FA Cup winners. AP
Opening day fixtures:
Arsenal v Liverpool
Bournemouth v Man Utd
Burnley v Swansea
Chelsea v West Ham Utd
Crystal Palace v West Brom
Everton v Tottenham Hotspur
Hull v Leicester
Man City v Sunderland
Middlesbrough v Stoke
Southampton v Watford