Leicester City have been handed a tough start to the new Premier league season after the fixtures for this campaign were unveiled on Wednesday. Leicester City were promoted from the championship with a record points tally, but even then, they are expected to struggle in the first few months of the campaign. This is because of the Gulf in difference between the Championship and the Premier league. In order to cope with the difference in quality, Leicester would have been fortunate to avoid most of the top teams in the first five matches of the season.

This has not been the case because they have been handed Europa league qualified Everton on the opening day of the season. This will be at home, which is one saving grace for Nigel Pearson’s team. However, in the second match, they travel to Stamford Bridge in order to take on Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea. This will be followed by a visit from Arsenal and then at trip to Britannia stadium to play Stoke, who are extremely strong at home. The first five fixtures will be rounded off with a match against Manchester United.

Leicester could be bottom of the table after the first five matches, which has threatened to hit their preparations, but Pearson is staying confident.

"The day the fixtures come out is always an exciting one for supporters as it starts the countdown to the new season. It's a bit special this year as we'll be back in the Premier League after a long absence, and there are a lot of attractive fixtures for fans to look forward to. Starting against Everton is going to be a big challenge. They had a very good season, have a manager who has made a big impact since joining them and a squad with some very good players," said Pearson.