- Leicester City manager Craig Shakespeare provides his thoughts on an "exciting" 2017/18 fixture list
- City will open the new Premier League season with an encounter with Arsenal at Emirates Stadium
- 13-time champions Arsenal welcome Shakespeare's men to north London on Saturday 12 August
- The Foxes then host Brighton and Hove Albion at King Power Stadium the following weekend
After Leicester City's 2017/18 fixture schedule was revealed on Wednesday, Craig Shakespeare says the Foxes are braced for another “challenging and exciting” Premier League campaign.
The Foxes will begin with a trip to north London to face Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Saturday 12 August before welcoming newly-promoted Brighton and Hove Albion to King Power Stadium the following weekend (Saturday 19 August).
Encounters with UEFA Europa League winners Manchester United, title holders Chelsea, league debutants Huddersfield Town and 18-time champions Liverpool then await Shakespeare’s men in what promises to be a thrilling opening chapter to the 2017/18 season.
Ahead of City's fourth consecutive year in the Premier League, Shakespeare told LCFC.com: “Fixture release day is always something to look forward to and this year we’ve been handed what is both a very challenging and exciting start, which is exactly what you have to expect in the Premier League."
Shakespeare also pointed to a host of eventful clashes with Arsène Wenger's Gunners down the years before calling on the Blue Army to continue their magnificent support on home turf when Brighton, who finished second in the Championship last term, visit Filbert Way seven days later.
The Foxes boss added: “We’ve had some great battles with Arsenal in recent years and travelling there on the opening weekend provides us with a chance to show just what we are capable of against a side that will be challenging near the top of the table.
“Of course, after that, we have our first home fixture against Brighton and I know that both the players and supporters will be equally excited to once again make King Power Stadium a place for other teams to fear.”
With another strong cast list in the Premier League this year, Shakespeare has challenged his squad to replicate the "togetherness" which propelled them to unprecedented success over past seasons.
“The quality of the Premier League is there for all to see and I fully expect it to be as competitive as ever,” he continued. “We’ll face challenges along the way but what we need is to keep the same togetherness between the fans, the players, the owners and the staff that has brought us so much success in the past.”