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Daily Mirror

Sport

Felix Keith

Arsenal given European fixture advantage while Liverpool get Man Utd and Man City problem

Arsenal UEFA Champions League EPL Liverpool Manchester United Manchester City Newcastle (Organization) Mikel Arteta Europe the Premier League

Arsenal will play in the Champions League for the first time since in six years next season – and Mikel Arteta’s side have been blessed with a kind schedule which could make their return a happy one.

The Gunners discovered their Premier League fixtures on Thursday morning and would have been quietly satisfied to find out they open their campaign with games against Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Fulham. Arteta and his players have also been given favourable fixtures after their Champions League group games.

Mirror Football have analysed the fixture schedule to identify how many home matches the four English sides entering the group stages have in the Premier League straight after Champions League games. It revealed that Arsenal have been smiled on by the fixture gods.

Arteta’s side play at the Emirates Stadium in all six of their Premier League matches which directly follow Champions League games from September to December. Manchester City and Manchester United both have three home games and three away games, while Newcastle have the toughest fixtures.

Eddie Howe’s side finished fourth to secure a place in Europe’s top club competition but may find it tough going in the 2023/24 season. They have just two home games following Champions League group matches – and both of those come in the final two weeks in November and December, when their qualification for the knockout stages may have already been determined.

While Arsenal are at home in every game after the Champions League group games, they do have some tough assignments. They host Tottenham in the North London Derby on the weekend of September 23 after the opening Champions League game on either September 19 or 20 and they host defending champions Man City a few days after their second European tie.

Mikel Arteta will be pleased with Arsenal's fixture schedule (Visionhaus via Getty Images)

HAVE YOUR SAY! What do you make of the schedules and will they be decisive next season? Comment below.

Liverpool missed out on Champions League qualification by finishing fifth in the Premier League last season. But they also appear to have some tough fixtures around their Europa League ties in 2023/24.

They are away at Wolves before their opening Europa League game of the season on Thursday, September 21. Jurgen Klopp’s side also travel to Tottenham on Saturday, September 30 before Europa League matchday two on Thursday, October 5, which is followed by an away trip to Brighton.

It is worth noting that specific Champions League and Europa League fixtures are yet to be released, meaning that travel arrangements and the difficulty of the schedule is not entirely clear. Meanwhile, Premier League fixtures will be moved around to suit broadcasters and ensure manageable fixture schedules.

Here follows a list of the Premier League fixtures which follow the Champions League group stages matches.

Champions League matchday 1: September 19/20

Premier League week 6: September 23

Arsenal (h) vs Tottenham

Manchester United (a) vs Burnley

Manchester City (h) vs Nottingham Forest

Newcastle United (a) vs Sheffield United

Champions League matchday 2: October 3/4

Premier League week 8: October 7

Arsenal (h) vs Man City

Manchester United (h) vs Brentford

Manchester City (a) vs Arsenal