Liverpool face daunting start

Brendan Rodgers has been handed a difficult start to life at Liverpool, with Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United all visiting Anfield in the first five games of the season.

The Reds travel to West Bromwich Albion for the Premier League opener on August 18th, before the reigning champions make their trip to Merseyside the following weekend.

Arsene Wenger’s Gunners are next on the agenda at Anfield (September 1st), before a tricky looking trip to face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light a fortnight later.

Completing the first five games of the season are Manchester United, with Sir Alex Ferguson bringing his Red Devils to Liverpool on the 22nd September for one of club football’s biggest fixtures.

Other dates of note for Rodgers include the first Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on October 27, with trips to Chelsea, former club Swansea City and Tottenham Hotspur the following month.

January is another daunting month for Liverpool, with trips to Old Trafford and the Emirates Stadium (12th and 29th). That’s followed by a clash against City on February 2nd, and then the Swans visiting Anfield on February 23rd.

Chelsea travel to Liverpool on April 20th, before matches against Newcastle (A), Everton (H), Fulham (A) and QPR (H) bring an end to the season.