The fixtures for the new Premier League season were officially announced during the recent EURO 2020.
Emirates Stadium Chelsea s Ruben Loftus-Cheek left and Arsenal s Thomas Partey centre battle for the ball during The Mind Series match at Emirates Stadium, London. Picture date: Sunday August 1, 2021. rivalry.. Copyright: Aaron ChownDue to the excitement of England’s progression in the competition, the fixture release went under the radar, more so than in other seasons.
However, Gunners fans should be quick to look at the list of games to be played this upcoming season with a number of fixtures jumping up off the page. Betting on the Arsenal fixtures throughout the season will be extremely popular for punters who love sports betting, but what are the stand out fixtures for Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal team this season. What are the most important dates this season?
Arsenal vs Chelsea
On paper, Arsenal’s Premier League season gets off to a fairly difficult start. The Gunners are set to face two of last season’s top four in the opening three matches. The biggest match for fans in the sequence will be the visit of Chelsea on August 22nd. That match will also be The Gunners first at home of the season. Chelsea will have aspirations of a title this coming season, which means that the Blues won’t be playing for anything other than three points at Emirates Stadium.
Meanwhile, Arteta’s side will be looking to get their home campaign off to the perfect start with a win over their fierce rivals. Arsenal’s recent record against Chelsea is excellent, as they have won the last three in all competitions. The Gunners last home win in the league against Chelsea came back in December 2020, with Alexandre Lacazette, Granit Xhaka and Buyako Saka scoring the goals.
Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur
It seems like a lifetime since there has been a full capacity crowd for a North London derby. However, that wait for a grudge match against local rivals Spurs comes to an end early in the season, as the first derby of the campaign takes place on September 26th. Arsenal will welcome Spurs to the Emirates for the first derby of the season, which could come at a pivotal stage.
The Gunners will be hoping to go into the game with as much momentum as possible. It will also be a first derby experience for new Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who took over from Jose Mourinho over the summer. The former Wolves boss has experienced derbies against West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa in the past, but this will be by far a heightened experience for the Portuguese coach.
Manchester United vs Arsenal
The festive period is the busiest section of the season for all Premier League sides, and it could make or break the goals that teams have in the top-flight. The Gunners face a fairly decent run of fixtures in December, before a showdown with Manchester City on New Year’s Day. However, the Gunners will be hopeful of going into that period with momentum behind them.
To achieve that, they will need to go to Old Trafford and get a positive result against Manchester United. While the fixture doesn’t hold the same importance as it previously did throughout the Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger eras, it is still one of the fixtures that fans look for at the beginning of every season.
United could be targeting the league title this season, which means that they will be desperate to get all three points against the old rival. But, Arteta and his side would love nothing more than to damage their hopes.
Arsenal vs Everton
Most Arsenal fans will look for the opening fixtures and then the biggest games of the season, before then hunting for the game that the Gunners will have to close the 2021-22 season. Arsenal will end their season next term with the visit of Everton. The fixture will take place on May 22nd 2022, and it could be a game with massive implications for both sides.
Everton and Arsenal will be looking to qualify for the Europa League in 2021-22, which means that something could be hanging on the fixture between the sides at the Emirates come May.
The Gunners will have fresh memories of the last time the two sides met in the capital, as the Toffees surprised the Gunners by claiming a 1-0 win, courtesy of an own goal by Bernd Leno. Gunners fans will be hoping that those subpar performances are a thing of the past, and that this season could be the one where they get themselves