Southampton will make their longest journey of the season on their return to the top flight, taking on Newcastle United on Saturday 17th August.
The Saints have a poor record at St.James’ Park, with just one win in their last 20 visits there - dating back to 2015.
The two sides also met in the Semi-finals of the 2022/2023 Carabao Cup, with Newcastle running out comfortable 4-1 aggregate winners.
Following the disappointment of missing out on European football, the Magpies will be looking to get off to another flying start, hoping to replicate their 5-1 opening weekend win over Aston Villa last season.
Opening run:
Saturday 24th August 2024 - Nottingham Forest (H)
Saturday 31st August 2024 - Brentford (A)
Saturday 14th September 2024 - Manchester United (H)
Saturday 21st September 2024 - Ipswich Town (H)
As a newly promoted side, it is vital that Southampton get off to a reasonable start as the likes of Burnley found out last season, the games can very quickly get away from you and you can be left with a mountain to climb at an early stage.
After the trip to the North East on opening weekend, the Saints will go on to play the teams that finished 17th and 16th respectively last season in the form of Nottingham Forest and Brentford, who both narrowly avoided relegation.
Following this, the first clash with one of the ‘traditional top six’ arrives as Russell Martin’s side will welcome Manchester United to St Mary’s after the first international break.
Lastly, to round off the opening five fixtures, Southampton will be at home once again, this time to welcome fellow newly promoted side Ipswich Town.
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Notable Fixtures
Saturday 28th September 2024 - AFC Bournemouth (A)
Although not officially recognised as a derby by many, there is no doubt the tension in this fixture has risen over the years.
The Saints have an excellent record at the Vitality Stadium, currently unbeaten in their last six there and winning the last three.
However, after an impressive season under Andoni Iraola, the Cherries will come into this one as favourites.
Saturday 5th October 2024 - Arsenal (A)
Perhaps one of the most dramatic clashes of the 2022/23 season, with Arsenal in desperate need of a win in their title race with Manchester City, whilst Southampton were a long way from safety at the foot of the table.
The Saints scored early twice to take a 2-0 lead with goals from Charly Alcaraz and Theo Walcott. Gabriel Martinelli pulled one back for the hosts but in the second half, Duje Caleta-Car re-established the two-goal cushion, putting a major shock on the cards.
Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka scored two late goals to level it up, and despite threatening, were unable to find a winner.
This ultimately proved to be a disastrous turning point for Arsenal and their title hopes.
Saturday 19th October 2024 - Leicester City (H)
It is fair to say this fixture bears many bad memories for Southampton fans.
The infamous 9-0 is, of course, the result that is always a talking point when these two meet, particularly at the scene of the crime at St.Mary’s. But to make things worse, Saints had an aggregate loss of 9-1 against Leicester City in the Championship last season, losing 4-1 at home and 5-0 away.
As such, it’s important to quash some of those demons whilst also getting a crucial result against, what could well be, a direct rival in a relegation battle.
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Southampton's 2024/2025 fixture schedule in full:
August: Newcastle United (A,17th), Nottingham Forest (H,24th), Brentford (A,31st)
September: Manchester United (H,14th), Ipswich Town (H,21st), AFC Bournemouth (A,28th)
October: Arsenal (A,5th), Leicester City (H,19th), Manchester City (A,26th)
November: Everton (H,2nd), Wolverhampton Wanderers (A,9th), Liverpool (H,23rd), Brighton & Hove Albion (A,30th)
December: Chelsea (H,4th), Aston Villa (A,7th), Tottenham Hotspur (H,14th), Fulham (A,21st), West Ham United (H,26th), Crystal Palace (A,28th)
January: Brentford (H,4th), Manchester United (A,15th), Nottingham Forest (A,18th), Newcastle United (H,29th)
February: Ipswich Town (A,1st), AFC Bournemouth (H,15th), Brighton & Hove Albion (H,22nd), Chelsea (A,28th)
March: Liverpool (A,8th), Wolverhampton Wanderers (H,15th)
April: Crystal Palace (H,2nd), Tottenham Hotspur (A,5th), Aston Villa (H,12th), West Ham United (A,19th), Fulham (H,26th)
May: Leicester City (A,3rd), Manchester City (H,10th), Everton (A,18th), Arsenal (H,25th)
