LONDON — Louis van Gaal will get a taste of English Premier League action for the first time when he leads out Manchester United against Swansea at Old Trafford on Aug. 16 — the opening day of the 2014-15 season. The Premier League fixtures released Wednesday ironically threw up the same opponents for United that David Moyes faced last August at the start of his ill-fated time in charge of the club. This time, however, Dutchman van Gaal will have the added advantage of a home fixture to kick off with. Currently on World Cup duty with the Netherlands in Brazil, van Gaal will switch his focus to club football as soon as the Dutch end their campaign there. He is charged with reviving fortunes at United after a disappointing seventh place finish last season, with Moyes sacked even before the end of the campaign. Following the Swansea game, United travels to Sunderland and Burnley, before a home game against newly-promoted QPR. City rival and defending champion Manchester City, meanwhile, will open up with a tough trip to Newcastle. Manuel Pellegrini's men, who won the league by two points from Liverpool, travel to St James' Park before facing Brendan Rodgers' men at home the following weekend. The first Manchester derby of the season is scheduled for Nov. 1 at the Etihad Stadium, with the reverse slated for April 11. Liverpool starts with a home game against Southampton — Ronald Koeman's first game in charge — while Chelsea, which finished third in 2013-14, travels to Burnley. Championship-winning Leicester faces a difficult start. A home match against Everton is followed by games against Chelsea and Arsenal. The Gunners start at home to Crystal Palace, while north London rival Tottenham — with new manager Mauricio Pochettino at the helm — faces West Ham at Upton Park. Alan Irvine's first Premier League match as West Brom manager is a home contest against Sunderland, which secured Premier League survival thanks to a stirring revival under the leadership of Gus Poyet. Harry Redknapp's QPR — promoted after a playoff final win — hosts Hull on day one. The other match pairs Stoke and Aston Villa at the Britannia Stadium. — AP
