The FA have released the fixture list for the first two games for the FA WSL and FA WC 2020/21 season and Arsenal will open their season at home to Reading.
They will then be away to West Ham in week 2.
It is important to note that all those games will be played behind closed door as per government guidance, unless Boris Johnson allows crowds back in September which is highly unlikely.
The openers will be played on 5/6 September and Matchday 2 games will be played the following weekend.
Sunday 6 September
Arsenal v Reading
Aston Villa v Manchester City
Brighton & Hove Albion v Birmingham City
Bristol City v Everton
Manchester United v Chelsea
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United
Sunday 13 September 2020
Chelsea v Bristol City
Birmingham City v Manchester United
Everton v Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester City v Brighton & Hove Albion
Reading v Aston Villa
West Ham United v Arsenal
As expected, there are no big clashes between the big three in the first two games as it is obviously more interesting to have fans attending those key games and you would not expect them to be played early in the season.
Holders Chelsea have a tough away opener at Manchester United who will surely compete for third place that is now a Champions League qualification spot. Chelsea will then take on Bristol at home.
Manchester City are away to newly promoted Aston Villa and will then be at home to Brighton.
Therefore, Arsenal will have to hit the ground running and get an early six points on the board. With the Champions League taking place late August, there should be no be a problem in term of match fitness and sharpness.
The Championship games are as follows:
Sunday 5 September
Charlton Athletic v Crystal Palace
Coventry United v London Bees
Leicester City v Blackburn Rovers
Liverpool v Durham
London City Lionesses v Sheffield United
* Lewes (spare team)
Saturday 12 September 2020
Crystal Palace v London City Lionesses
Sunday 13 September 2020
Blackburn Rovers v Charlton Athletic
Durham v Lewes
London Bees v Liverpool
Sheffield United v Leicester City
* Coventry United (spare team)
Curiously, four teams who will aim for promotion will face each other on Matchday 1 with Liverpool v Durham and London City Lionesses v Sheffield United.
One annoying thing is the FA did not open up a licence in the Championship and so, again, we have another season with 11 teams.
It would have made sense to expand it to 12, especially as promotion was denied to the FA WNL sides when two of them were supposed to come up.
The rest of the fixture list will come in September as Matchday 3 is not scheduled before October and FA WSL/FAWC clubs are groundsharing with EPL/EFL clubs and therefore need to ensure there are no fixture clashes.
