Premier League fixture release details
With Liverpool set to receive their Premier League fixture list for 2021-22 next week, here's everything you need to know about the release of the new season's schedule.
Fixtures revealed
Liverpool’s 2021-22 Premier League fixtures will be revealed here on Liverpoolfc.com at 9am BST on Wednesday June 16.
Dates and kick-off times of the matches will be subject to change for broadcast purposes.
Key dates
The 2021-22 league season is scheduled to begin on Saturday August 14, while the final round of matches will be played on Sunday May 22, 2022.
The Premier League’s summer transfer window officially opened on Wednesday June 9 and will close at 11pm BST on Tuesday August 31.
International breaks are scheduled for the following dates: August 30 to September 8, October 4-13, November 8-16, January 24 to February 2, and March 21-30.
The CAF Africa Cup of Nations is set to be held in January 2022.
Liverpool’s Champions League group-stage matches will be played on September 14/15, September 28/29, October 19/20, November 2/3, November 23/24 and December 7/8.
Promoted teams
Relegated from the Premier League in 2019-20, Norwich City and Watford secured returns back to the top flight at the first opportunity by claiming the Championship’s two automatic promotion spots.
Norwich won the division having lost just seven of their 46 fixtures, while Watford took runners-up spot courtesy of the meanest defence (30 goals conceded).
Joining them in jumping up to the Premier League are Brentford, who beat AFC Bournemouth and then Swansea City in the play-offs to feature at the highest level of English football for the first time since 1946-47.
The Reds’ opening meeting of the season with Brentford will be the teams’ first clash in any competition since Liverpool won an FA Cup quarter-final at Anfield in March 1989.
Norwich, Watford and Brentford replace Fulham, West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United in the top flight.
Opening-day form
Liverpool are unbeaten in their last eight opening-day fixtures since a 3-0 reversal at West Brom on the first day of 2012-13.
Seven of those have been victories for the Reds, including each of the last three: 4-3 against Leeds United last term, 4-1 versus Norwich the previous year, and 4-0 over West Ham United in 2018-19.
Jürgen Klopp has chalked up four wins and a draw in his five opening games of a Premier League campaign so far, with his side scoring at least three goals on each occasion.
Home or away?
The law of averages suggests the fixture computer may send Liverpool on the road to begin their 2021-22 league schedule.
The Reds have started each of the last three seasons at Anfield, having kicked off the previous three campaigns away from home.
Records watch
Liverpool are 19 wins away from the milestone of 600 in the Premier League era, and require 73 goals to reach the landmark of 2,000.
Jordan Henderson is 10 appearances away from 300 in the top flight for the Reds and Mohamed Salah needs five Premier League goals to achieve a century since joining the club.
Nine more matches will see James Milner leapfrog David James into fourth place on the all-time Premier League appearances list.