Premier League pre-season schedules including alarming Man City and Chelsea plans

Most Premier League teams are already back on their training pitches despite Chelsea still having a game to play before finally bringing the 2024/25 campaign to a close

Chelsea are yet to conclude their 2024/25 season but most of their Premier League rivals are already back from holidays and getting stuck into their pre-season programmes.

And while Enzo Maresca’s team look to win the Club World Cup in New Jersey on Sunday night, pocketing a prize just shy of £100m, several domestic opponents will have already taken part in their first friendly of the summer with Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland in action on Saturday.

Manchester City find themselves in a similar position to Chelsea despite their Club World Cup campaign coming to a close a fortnight earlier.

And Pep Guardiola has already said that the other Premier League sides will have a “huge advantage” over City and Chelsea.

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“I try not to think about it, otherwise I will be so anxious,” Guardiola said while at the Club World Cup. “We will rest the time the Premier League allows us to. And game by game, month by month, we will see.

“And maybe in November, December, January, ask me, Pep. I may say: ‘So listen, we are a disaster. We are exhausted. The World Cup destroyed us.’ I don’t know, but it’s the first time in our life that that’s happened. So we will see.

“So I try to be relaxed, to enjoy the days here, the good vibes that we have, the competition, to try to win it. And the most important thing, to recover, to find or re-find ourselves what we were. This is my main target in this tournament.”

As a consequence City have so far confirmed only one pre-season game against Palermo in Sicily on August 9. Chelsea, meanwhile, have pencilled in matches against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan on August 8 and 10 at Stamford Bridge.

That is stark contrast to Arsenal having five games, three while on a tour of Singapore and Hong Kong, and Aston Villa playing six matches including on a trip to America.

Manchester United, who hosted two money-spinning post-season friendlies in Asia, have confirmed five more friendlies, while newly-promoted Sunderland have listed nine fixtures starting with a double header against local non-League opponents Gateshead and South Shields this Saturday.

Pre-season fixtures

Arsenal

23 July v AC Milan (Singapore) 27 July v Newcastle (Singapore) 31 July v Spurs (Hong Kong) 5 August v Villarreal (H) (Emirates Cup) 9 August v Athletic Club (H) (Emirates Cup)

Aston Villa

16 July v Walsall (A) 19 July v Hansa Rostock (A) 26 July v Eintracht Frankfurt (A) 30 July v St. Louis City SC (A) 2 August v Nashville SC (A) 6 August v AS Roma (H)

AFC Bournemouth

15 July v Hibernian (H) 19 July v Bristol City (H) 26 July v Everton (New Jersey) 31 July (02:30 BST) v Man Utd (Chicago) 3 August v West Ham (Atlanta) 9 August v Real Sociedad B (H) 9 August v Real Sociedad (H)

Brentford

2 August v Queens Park Rangers (A) 8 August v Borussia Monchengladbach (H)

Brighton & Hove Albion

2 August v Southampton (A) 9 August v Wolfsburg (H)

Burnley

26 July v Huddersfield Town (A) 26 July v Shrewsbury Town (A) 2 August v Stoke City (A) 9 August v Lazio (H)

Chelsea

8 August v Bayer Leverkusen (H) 10 August v AC Milan (H)

Crystal Palace

12 July v Millwall (Behind closed doors) 25 July v Crawley Town (A) 29 July v Mainz (Austria) 1 August v Augsburg (Austria) 10 August v Liverpool (FA Community Shield, Wembley)

Everton

15 July v Accrington Stanley (A) 19 July v Blackburn Rovers (A) 26 July v Bournemouth (New Jersey) 30 July v West Ham (Chicago) 3 August v Man Utd (Atlanta) 9 August v AS Roma (H)

Fulham

9 August v Eintracht Frankfurt (H)

Leeds

19 July v Man United (Stockholm) 2 August v Villarreal (H) 9 August v AC Milan (Aviva Stadium)

Liverpool

13 July v Preston North End (A) 26 July v AC Milan (Hong Kong) 30 July v Yokohama F. Marinos (Japan) 4 August v Athletic Club (H) 10 August v Crystal Palace (FA Community Shield)

Man City

9 August v Palermo FC (Sicily)

Man Utd

28 May ASEAN All Stars 1-0 Man Utd (Kuala Lumpur) 30 May Hong Kong 1-3 Man Utd (Hong Kong) 19 July v Leeds United (Stockholm) 27 July (00:00 BST) v West Ham (New Jersey) 31 July (02:30 BST) v Bournemouth (Chicago) 3 August v Everton (Atlanta) 9 August v Fiorentina (H)

Newcastle

19 July v Celtic (A) (Adidas Trophy) 27 July v Arsenal (Singapore) TBC July/August v K-League Select XI (South Korea) TBC July/August v Spurs (South Korea) 9 August v Atletico Madrid (H) (The Sela Cup)

Nottingham Forest

12 July v Chesterfield (A) 19 July v TBC (TBC) 2 August v Birmingham City (A) (Francis Memorial Match) TBC v ACF Fiorentina (A) 9 August v Al Qadsiah (H)

Sunderland

12 July v Gateshead (A) 12 July v South Shield (A) 19 July v Sevilla FC (Estadio Algarve) 21 July v Sporting CP (Estadio Algarve) 26 July v Heart of Midlothian (A) 29 July v Hull City (A) 2 August v Real Betis (H) 9 August v Augsburg (A) 10 August v Rayo Vallecano (H)

Spurs

19 July v Reading (A) 31 July v Arsenal (Hong Kong) 7 August v Bayern Munich (Munich) TBC July/August v Newcastle (South Korea) 13 August v Paris Saint-Germain (UEFA Super Cup, Udine, Italy)

West Ham

19 July v Grasshopper Club Zurich (A) 27 July (00:00 BST) v Man Utd (New Jersey) 30 July v Everton (Chicago) 3 August v Bournemouth (Atlanta) 9 August v Lille OSC (H)

Wolves

26 July v Stoke City (A) 30 July v RC Lens (Bescot Stadium) 3 August v Girona (A) 9 August v Celta Vigo (A)

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