Fixture Release Day: City’s Last Five Premier League Openers

First Team
11 Jun 2019
4 Minutes
With Leicester City’s 2019/20 Premier League fixtures set for release at 9am BST on Thursday 13 June, LCFC.com looks back on the Foxes’ five previous opening day encounters.

Preparing for a sixth-consecutive campaign in England’s top tier, Brendan Rodgers’ men will find out who they will face on the first matchday of the new season later this week.

City have kicked off the Premier League season for the previous three years, facing Manchester United at Old Trafford, Arsenal at Emirates Stadium and Hull City at KCOM Stadium.

They have scored in all five of their season openers since making a return to the Premier League following a 10-year absence, netting a total of 11 goals in the process.

Leicester City 2 Everton 2
2014/15 Premier League season
King Power Stadium
Goals: Ulloa 22, Wood 86; McGeady 20, Naismith 45

Chris Wood's late equaliser saw Leicester City announce their return to the Premier League in style.

Leicester City’s first Premier League fixture for a decade ended in a pulsating 2-2 draw with nine times champions of England Everton.

Argentine striker Leonardo Ulloa scored his first goal for the Club to cancel out Aiden McGeady’s excellently-executed opener, only for Steven Naismith to restore Everton’s lead before the break.

The Foxes continued to battle and found a deserved equaliser with four minutes to play, as New Zealand international Chris Wood slotted past Tim Howard.

In their next two Premier League home games, Leicester drew 1-1 with Arsenal before famously beating Manchester United 5-3.

Leicester City 4 Sunderland 2
2015/16 Premier League season
King Power Stadium
Goals: Vardy 11, Mahrez 18, pen 25, Albrighton 66; Defoe 60, Fletcher 71

Riyad Mahrez scored twice in a victory against Sunderland, which set the tone for an incredible season for the Club.

A superb first-half display during Leicester City’s first game of 2015/16 saw them score three times courtesy of a Riyad Mahrez double and Jamie Vardy’s opener.

Jermain Defoe pulled a goal back for Sunderland, but Marc Albrighton’s low finish made it 4-1, before Steven Fletcher scored what proved to be a consolation goal for the Black Cats.

The victory set City on an unbeaten run of eight games in all competitions, before they were beaten for the first time by Arsenal in September.

Leicester lost just three Premier League games in 2015/16 en route to their first ever top-flight title, and finished 10 points above second-placed Arsenal.

Hull City 2 Leicester City 1
2016/17 Premier League season
KCOM Stadium
Goals: Diomande 45, Snodgrass 57; Mahrez pen 47

Leicester City faced newly-promoted Hull City on the opening day of the 2016/17 Premier League season.

The defending Premier League champions fell short on the opening day of the 2016/17 season after Mike Phelan’s side scored in either half.

After a narrow loss to Manchester United in the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium, City headed to East Yorkshire to begin their top-flight campaign.

Adama Diomande’s bicycle kick put the Tigers ahead on the stroke of half-time, before Riyad Mahrez got City back on level terms with a spot-kick just two minutes into the second period.

But Robert Snodgrass’ powerful half-volley after the interval secured a win for Hull, who went on to beat Swansea City and Exeter City in their next two games.

Arsenal 4 Leicester City 3
2017/18 Premier League season
Emirates Stadium
Goals: Lacazette 2, Welbeck 45, Ramsey 83, Giroud 85; Okazaki 5, Vardy 29, 56

Jamie Vardy scored twice at Emirates Stadium, but the Foxes fell to a 4-3 defeat by Arsenal.

A seven-goal thriller ended in defeat for Leicester City on the opening day of the 2017/18 Premier League season.

Leicester responded well to Alexandre Lacazette’s second-minute strike, with Shinji Okazaki nodding home debutant Harry Maguire’s header.

City then twice took the lead as Jamie Vardy struck either side of a Danny Welbeck leveller, but late goals from Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud secured three points for the Gunners.

The Foxes would go on to win their following fixture 2-0 against Brighton & Hove Albion thanks to Okazaki’s second effort of the season and a maiden goal for Maguire.

Manchester United 2 Leicester City 1
2018/19 Premier League season
Old Trafford
Goals: Pogba pen 3, Shaw 83; Vardy 90

James Maddison made his Premier League debut during the 2-1 loss at Old Trafford in 2018/19.

The Foxes’ most recent top-flight campaign began with a slender loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

While City recorded 54 per cent possession during the encounter, they fell behind inside three minutes when Paul Pogba converted a penalty that was awarded for Daniel Amartey’s handball inside the City box. 

Opportunities to equalise followed, as Kelechi Iheanacho, James Maddison and Demarai Gray all went close, only for Luke Shaw to double the hosts’ advantage with three minutes to play.

Jamie Vardy scored his first goal of the season in injury time after summer signing Ricardo Pereira had hit the post, but City could not find a second goal in Manchester.

Leicester City's fixtures will be confirmed live on LCFC TV at 9am BST on Thursday.