Manchester United 2015/16 Premier League fixtures: United face nothing terrible

Meet the new season ... same as the old season. In accordance with great and ancient tradition, Manchester United will play every team in the Premier League twice. Which is probably for the best, on balance.

What jumps out immediately is United's run-in. If Louis van Gaal were to sit down and pick his ideal final three games, he couldn't have come up with anything much friendlier than "Leicester City followed by two promoted teams, let's say Norwich and Bournemouth". Though, of course, Leicester humiliated United last season, when they were newly promoted, so who knows, eh?

Theoretically trickier spells come in September/October, when United will play Liverpool (home), Southampton (away), Arsenal (away), Everton (away) and City (home) over a spell of six games; this is, of course, when the Champions League group stages get going. There's a similar run again in late January/February, where it's Liverpool (away), Southampton (home), Chelsea (away) and Arsenal (home) over another six games. That coincides with the Champions League round of 16.

Other fixtures of note ...

• First game is Spurs at Old Trafford. United's Champions League qualifier will follow the second and third games of the season, which are Aston Villa away and Newcastle at home.

• Incidentally United are at home on the opening day not because of the forces of randomness, but because our dear neighbours City want a week extra to finish off some building work. Speaking of which, the derbies are at home on October 24, then away on March 19.

• The Boxing Day game is away at Stoke, which just screams festive cheer, doesn't it? January 2 is a home game, though, against Swansea.

• Liverpool: at home on September 12, then away on January 16.

Full fixtures are below, summarily cut and pasted from United's official website. All dates are of course subject to Skyjacking, cup commitments, and the whims of the British weather. GET HYPED.

Sat Aug 8 Tottenham Hotspur H
Sat Aug 15 Aston Villa A
Sat Aug 22 Newcastle United H
Sat Aug 29 Swansea City A
Sat Sep 12 Liverpool H
Sat Sep 19 Southampton A
Sat Sep 26 Sunderland H
Sat Oct 3 Arsenal A
Sat Oct 17 Everton A
Sat Oct 24 Manchester City H
Sat Oct 31 Crystal Palace A
Sat Nov 7 West Bromwich Albion H
Sat Nov 21 Watford A
Sat Nov 28 Leicester City A
Sat Dec 5 West Ham United H
Sat Dec 12 A.F.C. Bournemouth A
Sat Dec 19 Norwich City H
Sat Dec 26 Stoke City A
Mon Dec 28 Chelsea H
Sat Jan 2 Swansea City H
Wed Jan 13 Newcastle United A
Sat Jan 16 Liverpool A
Sat Jan 23 Southampton H
Tue Feb 2 Stoke City H
Sat Feb 6 Chelsea A
Sat Feb 13 Sunderland A
Sat Feb 27 Arsenal H
Tue Mar 1 Watford H
Sat Mar 5 West Bromwich Albion A
Sat Mar 12 Crystal Palace H
Sat Mar 19 Manchester City A
Sat Apr 2 Everton H
Sat Apr 9 Tottenham Hotspur A
Sat Apr 16 Aston Villa H
Sat Apr 23 West Ham United A
Sat Apr 30 Leicester City H
Sat May 7 Norwich City A
Sun May 15 A.F.C. Bournemouth H