Liverpool and Arsenal will meet at Anfield on the opening day of the Premier League season, while Chelsea will kick off defense of the title against promoted West Bromwich Albion and Manchester United will take on Newcastle.
The Premier League released the season's schedule Thursday, including some intriguing matchups when the campaign opens Aug. 14.
Tottenham hosts Manchester City, the team it beat in May to secure the final Champions League qualification place. The other promoted team, Blackpool, which is back in the top flight for the first time since 1971, starts at home to Wigan Athletic.
The league season will end on May 22, meaning it will finish after the FA Cup final for the first time since 2002.
The FA Cup final is on May 14, because Wembley stadium is hosting the Champions League final on May 28.
West Brom's trip to Chelsea on opening day gives West Brom manager Roberto Di Matteo an early return to Stamford Bridge.
Di Matteo, who played for the Blues between 1996 and 2002, will have a daunting first few weeks as a manager in the Premier League. After Chelsea, West Brom's next three away games are against Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United.
"It's certainly a challenging start!" the Italian told the Baggies' website. "It will be the coaching staff's job to get the players as best prepared as possible ...
"We'll need to hit the ground running as opening fixtures don't come any harder than Chelsea away."
Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea, which also won the FA Cup last season for the club's first double, does not face Manchester United until Dec. 18 at Stamford Bridge. The big rivals' other meeting, at Old Trafford, is not until May 7.
Blackpool also has to wait, until May 22, to play at Old Trafford. Its first date with one of the "big four" is Aug. 21, when it visits Arsenal.
"It's finally hit home that the Premiership is upon us now, what we've achieved is finally here," Keith Southern, the Blackpool midfielder, told his club's website Thursday.
"We've got to relish the fact we're going to these places, have the belief we deserve to be on the same pitch as them, and give it our best shot."
Southern was only disappointed that the trip to Manchester United is the final game of the season.
"We've got to play them at some point but it's just a little unfortunate that we play them on the last day," he said. "They'll probably be going for the title that day and we don't know what our position will be, but it's a long way away."
In other opening round games, Aston Villa faces West Ham, Everton visits Blackburn, Sunderland hosts Birmingham, Wolves welcomes Stoke, Europa League runner-up Fulham goes to Bolton, and Wolverhampton Wanderers meets Stoke City at Molineux.
The first Merseyside derby of the season is on Oct. 16, at Goodison Park, and the first meeting of Chelsea and Arsenal is Oct. 2, at Stamford Bridge.
The FA Community Shield, between Chelsea and Manchester United, is at Wembley on Aug. 8.
In Scottish Premier League fixtures announced Thursday, defending champion Rangers hosts Kilmarnock while runner-u, Celtic, plays Iverness on the opening day, Aug. 14.
