Premier League fixtures release: Key details
Liverpool will discover their Premier League fixture list for 2020-21 – and the roadmap for their title defence – this week.
The schedule of matches for the forthcoming season is set to be announced at 9am BST on Thursday August 20, with the first round of games to be played on the second weekend of September.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the fixture release…
Key dates
Matchweek one will take place on the weekend of Saturday September 12, with two more rounds of top-flight games to be played in the month.
The confirmed Premier League calendar shows December as the month with the most fixtures for each team (six), while one round of games in January will be split across the midweeks of Wednesday 13 and Wednesday 20.
The campaign is set to conclude on Sunday May 23.
Home or away?
The Reds have started the past two Premier League seasons with a home match, beating Norwich City 4-1 at Anfield in 2019-20 and West Ham United 4-0 the previous year.
On the last occasion they kicked off away from home, in 2017-18, Jürgen Klopp’s side played out a 3-3 draw with Watford at Vicarage Road.
In the Premier League era, the fixture computer has sent Liverpool out on the road more often for their opening game, with 17 away matches and 11 at home.
Promoted teams
Leeds United
Leeds are back in the top flight for the first time since 2003-04 after winning the Championship by a 10-point margin last term.
Liverpool took four points from the two league meetings with Leeds 16 seasons ago, winning 3-1 at Anfield before a 2-2 draw at Elland Road.
The clubs have met twice in cup competitions since then, both times in the League Cup; the Reds claimed a 1-0 result away from home in September 2009 and a 2-0 victory in L4 in November 2016.
West Bromwich Albion
West Brom return to the Premier League after two seasons away, having secured the second automatic promotion spot in the Championship in 2019-20.
No team lost fewer games than the Baggies in the division, with only seven defeats across their 46 matches.
The Reds faced West Brom three times during the 2017-18 campaign, drawing 0-0 and 2-2 in the top flight and suffering a 3-2 reversal at Anfield in the FA Cup.
Fulham
Fulham bounced back into the Premier League at the first time of asking via the play-offs, beating Brentford 2-1 after extra-time at Wembley earlier this month.
Led by Scott Parker, they had finished fourth in the Championship table, winning half of their 46 league games.
Liverpool completed a double over them back in 2018-19, winning 2-0 at Anfield before a 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage late in the campaign.
The rulebook
The Premier League has confirmed rules relating to substitutions will revert for the 2020-21 season.
Clubs had been permitted to name nine players on the bench and introduce a maximum of five into the action during the games that took place after the last campaign restarted in June.
However, teams will now once again be able to name a maximum of seven players as substitutes and use only three.
Transfer window
The summer transfer window is currently open, with Liverpool having already signed Greece left-back Kostas Tsimikas from Olympiacos on a long-term deal.
The window will close on Monday October 5.
An additional domestic window will be open until 5pm BST on Friday October 16, with Premier League clubs only able to trade with EFL sides – for loans or permanent transfers – and not fellow top-flight teams.