By Jonny Payne.
The Premier League fixture-list was announced yesterday and next season looks very familiar for Arsenal. In fact, you could be forgiven for thinking that The Premier League released last year’s fixtures again by mistake.
Last season Arsenal travelled to all of their rival Premier League heavyweights before the beginning of February, with the exception of the journey to Tottenham, which came later. Trips to Everton, Manchester City and Manchester United were among the first away games.
The coming season’s fixtures are very similar. Arsenal again face three of their title rivals Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City before the end of October. Arsenal then face three more of last season’s other top eight clubs by mid-December. A trip to White Hart Lane is again the last trip to one of the top eight.
There are similarities elsewhere. The last game of 2009/10 was Fulham at The Emirates, while this time around Arsenal play the Cottagers in West London in the final fixture of 2010/11.
What’s more, the first game of last season was a trip to Liverpool to play Everton, while this season they also start their campaign in Merseyside – this time playing the reds. Arsenal fans will hope their team can come away from the city that sporned The Beatles with a similar 6-1 scoreline.
On paper Arsenal have a great run-in, but as last season proved there is no such thing. The other title contenders would have given their right arms for the last ten Arsenal fixtures last season, but Arsenal still managed to mess things up, so Arsene Wenger and his young team should be wary.
Key matches in the run-in include Liverpool at The Emirates with six matches remaining, Manchester United in North London two matches later, and then Aston Villa in the last home game of the season. Although these should all be tough matches, it is preferable that they are played at The Emirates rather than away from home when points may be desperately needed.
In other highlights Arsenal will travel to Bloomfield Road, home of newly-promoted Blackpool, on 9th April 2011; they meet Chelsea at The Emirates on a blockbuster Boxing Day, and the Gunners face North London rivals Tottenham at home on 20 November.
Click here for a full list of Arsenal’s 2010/11 fixtures.
Do you think the fixture-list has been kind to The Gunners? Have your say below
