BT sport @ ACC
Posted by Michael Woodhouse on 26 July 2017
After a summer notable for the absence of any major international tournaments, top-flight football finally returns in August. Transfer speculation can quench supporters’ appetite to a point, but nothing beats the real thing. Fans are gagging for the start of the new season and you should be too.
As ever, BT Sport is at the heart of all this unmissable action. Here is a rundown of what you should be looking out for in the opening weeks of the season…
Community Shield – 6 August
The traditional season curtain raiser. This year’s match sees Premier League champions Chelsea take on the team that beat them in May’s FA Cup Final, Arsenal. With no love lost between the two sides expect a lot of interest in this game from fans and neutrals alike.
UEFA Super Cup – 8 August
Champions League winners Real Madrid square up to Europa League winners Manchester United. Exclusively live on BT Sport.
Premier League
The appeal of the Premier League shows no sign of diminishing – this season should be the most open in recent memory with Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool all out to topple holders Chelsea.
Old favourites Newcastle United return, while new boys Brighton & Hove Albion and Huddersfield Town make their Premier League bow. Indeed, the opening weekend sees Brighton host Pep Guardiola’s all-star Man City a game only shown on BT Sport.
Other games exclusively live on BT Sport before the end of September include Stoke City v Arsenal; Manchester United v Leicester City; Stoke City v Manchester United; Tottenham Hotspur v Swansea City; Leicester City v Liverpool and Chelsea v Manchester City.
UEFA Champions League
After the final qualifying round in mid-August (look out for Liverpool and Celtic), the group games return on 12/13 September. With holders Real Madrid, plus Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Juventus, all safely in the group stages, alongside the British contingent of Chelsea, Spurs, Man City and Man Utd, it’s safe to say this season’s Champions League will be must-see viewing.
UEFA Europa League
Arsenal fly the flag for Britain in the Europa League, and Everton will hope to join them after the qualifying rounds. The Thursday group games kick off on 14 September.
