Fanfare and fixtures

The same old certainties always arrive with the divisional diary: You play every team, you play them twice, club managers will claim they have a "tough start" and the national team boss will complain about not having enough time with the England squad.

For the last three years, Tottenham have been third at the turn of the year only to fall away and miss out narrowly on Champions League football, so it clearly makes no difference what order the games come in.

Significant points include an early north London derby, a Manchester double in November and a simple enough six-game run-in at the end of the season - although Arsenal have it equally simple.

Two of our first five games are newly promoted sides, plus Swansea and Norwich at home, so there is at least the opportunity to make a solid start.

Here is the fixture list in full...

Sat Aug 17 Crystal Palace A
Sat Aug 24 Swansea City H
Sat Aug 31 Arsenal A
Sat Sep 14 Norwich City H
Sat Sep 21 Cardiff City A
Sat Sep 28 Chelsea H
Sat Oct 5 West Ham United H
Sat Oct 19 Aston Villa A
Sat Oct 26 Hull City H
Sat Nov 2 Everton A
Sat Nov 9 Newcastle United H 
Sat Nov 23 Manchester City A
Sat Nov 30 Manchester United H
Wed Dec 4 Fulham A
Sat Dec 7 Sunderland A
Sat Dec 14 Liverpool H
Sat Dec 21 Southampton A
Thu Dec 26 West Bromwich Albion H
Sat Dec 28 Stoke City H
Wed Jan 1 Manchester United A
Sat Jan 11 Crystal Palace H
Sat Jan 18 Swansea City A
Wed Jan 29 Manchester City H
Sat Feb 1 Hull City A
Sat Feb 8 Everton H
Wed Feb 12 Newcastle United A
Sat Feb 22 Norwich City A
Sat Mar 1 Cardiff City H
Sat Mar 8 Chelsea A
Sat Mar 15 Arsenal H
Sat Mar 22 Southampton H
Sat Mar 29 Liverpool A
Sat Apr 5 Sunderland H
Sat Apr 12 West Bromwich Albion A
Sat Apr 19 Fulham H
Sat Apr 26 Stoke City A
Sat May 3 West Ham United A
Sun May 11 Aston Villa H