Thursday 19 June 2014 11:31, UK
Arsenal will begin their 2014/15 Premier League challenge with a home game against Crystal Palace before then travelling to Everton.
Arsene Wenger’s Gunners have been handed an opening fixture at the Emirates Stadium against Tony Pulis’ Eagles and will hope to avoid a repeat of last August’s defeat by Aston Villa on home soil.
The fixture will be played on the weekend of 16/17 August. Arsenal beat Palace 2-0 home and away last season en route to finishing fourth.
The following weekend, Wenger will take his men to Merseyside for a meeting with Everton at Goodison Park, where a 3-0 defeat in early April hampered – but did not ultimately derail – Arsenal’s top-four ambitions.
Other highlights from the schedule include a visit from champions Manchester City in the fourth round of fixtures (13 September); the north London derby at home to Tottenham a fortnight later; and the return fixture at White Hart Lane on 7 February.
Over the festive period, Arsenal will host Harry Redknapp’s QPR at the Emirates on Boxing Day, travel to face West Ham two days later and then take on Southampton at St Mary’s on New Year’s Day.
Arsenal’s 2014/15 campaign will end at home to West Brom on Sunday 24 May.
Opening three games:
August 16 - Crystal Palace (h)
August 23 - Everton (a)
August 30 - Leicester (a)
