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Can Klopp extend his unbeaten opening-day record?

14 Jun 2022
Jurgen Klopp celebrates

The Liverpool boss will be aiming to win his sixth match in seven opening-day fixtures

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Test your knowledge of opening-day fixtures

Jurgen Klopp has yet to lose any of his previous six season openers and will hope to extend that run after it was revealed Liverpool's first match of 2022/23 will be against Fulham.

See: All 380 Premier League fixtures released

Klopp will open a campaign against a promoted team for the fourth season running, winning five of his six matches and drawing the other.

That point came in a memorable six-goal thriller at Watford in 2017/18.

After twice falling behind at Vicarage Road, Mohamed Salah's first Premier League goal for the Reds looked to have secured victory for the Reds, only for Miguel Britos to equalise in the third minute of stoppage time.

Before last season, Pep Guardiola had won all five of Manchester City's first matches of the season, with his side scoring 14 times and conceding only twice. 

The reigning champions had not dropped a single point in their maiden fixture of a campaign since a 0-0 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in August 2010.

Those same opponents proved a Matchweek 1 bogey team again last season when City lost 1-0 at Spurs.

Having been drawn to play West Ham United at the London Stadium in their opening match, City will be hoping to improve upon the 2-2 draw that made last season's title run-in such a tight affair.

Highest win ratio of PL managers*
Manager Matches Wins Win %
Klopp 6 5 83
Guardiola 6 5 83
Mourinho 11 9 82
Houllier 5 4 80
Pochettino 7 5 71
Rodgers 8 5 63
Ferguson 21 13 62
Ranieri 5 3 60
Pellegrini  5 3 60
Allardyce 12 7 58

*Minimum five matches from MD1

Four men will be experiencing opening day as a Premier League manager for the first time.

Steven Gerrard of Aston Villa, Erik ten Hag from Manchester United, Nottingham Forest's Steve Cooper and Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch are looking to mark their first such match with a win.

Others, however, will be aiming to improve on their record, with Ralph Hassenhuttl, Patrick Vieira, Marco Silva, Scott Parker and Bruno Lage still yet to earn a point on the opening day.

See: How managers have fared in MW1

Also in this series

Part 1: Test your knowledge of opening-day fixtures
Part 2: Promoted clubs will eye history after Fixture Release Day
Part 3: Can Man City avoid another false start?
Part 4: Does another goal fest beckon to kick off 2022/23?
Part 5: Salah targets another opening-weekend goal record
Part 7: Forest the team to fear on opening day?

Get the 2022/23 fixtures as soon as they come out by downloading the Premier League's digital calendar 

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