Your guide to City's month ahead | OneFootball

August is upon us, and anticipation is building with the start of the new Premier League season just a fortnight away.

It promises to be a busy and exciting month with City’s Under-18s and Elite Development Squads also returning to competitive action over the next few weeks.

Our first team, Under-23s and Under-18s will all be defending their respective league titles and will be seeking to get off to positive starts in the new campaign.

To further whet your appetite, we’ve digested some of the key highlights to look out for over the next 31 days.

Tuesday 5th:

City v Blackpool (18.00 BST kick-off)

A final pre-season friendly for City sees us play host to newly promoted Championship side Blackpool at the Academy Stadium.

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For COVID-19 safety reasons, the match will once again be staged behind closed doors, but supporters will be able to follow every kick courtesy of a CITY+ subscription.

You can also watch live streams of selected Women’s, EDS and Academy matches throughout the season, as well as full-match replays and exclusive productions.

WATCH: Highlights: City 4-0 Barnsley

Saturday 7th:

City v Leicester (17.15 BST)

The 2021 Community Shield – the traditional curtain raiser to the new campaign - sees Premier League champions City tackle FA Cup holders Leicester at Wembley in what should be a fascinating encounter.

Pep Guardiola has tasted Community Shield success twice before - in 2018 and 2019 - and will be seeking to guide City to our first silverware of the new campaign against the Foxes.

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As ever, we will have all the big match build-up on our Matchday Live show with our special guests providing insight and analysis as well as carrying in-game commentary in our Matchday Centre before bringing you all the post-match reaction across our website and official app.

Saturday 14th:

City U18s v United U18s (12pm BST kick-off)

The Under-18 Premier League North returns and defending champions City start with a bang as we play host to Manchester United – last season’s runners-up – in a derby clash at the CFA.

WATCH: Introducing our 2021-22 away kit

Sunday 15th:

Liverpool U-23s v City EDS (14:00 BST kick-off), Tottenham v City (16.30pm BST)

The Premier League is back! And City start the defence of our title with a mouth-watering assignment away to Tottenham Hotspur.

Pep Guardiola’s side will be looking to get our campaign off to a positive start in the capital and, as always, we’ll be across all the action with our Matchday Live show and Matchday Centre providing unrivalled, comprehensive coverage and our digital channels also bringing you all of the post-match reaction.

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It’s an action-packed day as prior to our trip to tackle Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, our Elite Development Squad begin the defence of our Premier League 2 title with a tough assignment on Merseyside away to Liverpool.

And that’s a game you will be able to enjoy live with a CITY+ subscription.

Friday 20th:

City EDS v Blackburn (19.00 BST)

It’s a first home PL2 assignment of the new season for our Elite Development Squad as Brian Barry-Murphy’s side play host to Blackburn Rovers, last season’s runners-up, at the Academy Stadium.

Once again CITY+ subscribers will be able to enjoy every second of the action as we bring you live coverage of the game.

WATCH: City 2-0 Preston: Match highlights

Saturday 21st:

Everton U18s v City U18s (11am); City v Norwich (15:00 BST kick-off)

It’s another double dose of action on a busy Saturday. First up, our Under-18s hit the road as they travel up the M62 to take on Everton’s youngsters for our first away trip of the season.

Then the focus switches to the Etihad Stadium as City stage our first Premier League home game of the new campaign when we welcome newly promoted Norwich City to the Etihad with Matchday Live and our Matchday Centre once again providing unrivalled build-up, action and reaction.

Tuesday 24th

Scunthorpe v EDS (19.00 BST)

Our Under-23s are back in business with the focus switching to the Papa John’s Trophy and our opening Group E assignment away to League One Scunthorpe United.

It’s a repeat of last season’s group clash which saw the City youngsters record an excellent 4-1 win at the Sands Venue Stadium.

WATCH: A different City: Introducing our 2021-22 home kit

Thursday 26th

Champions League group stage draw - 17.00 (BST)

One of the highlights of the month sees the cream of Europe allocated their groups for continental football’s most prestigious competition.

Last season’s finalists, City will be in pot one for the draw in Istanbul alongside holders Chelsea, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter, Lille OSC and Sporting Lisbon.

The UEFA Youth League for Brian Barry-Murphy’s Under-19s will mirror the four-team pool.

We will bring you all the news and reaction from the draw as it happens here across all our digital channels.

Friday 27th:

United v City EDS (19.00)

It’s another big occasion for our Elite Development Squad as we make the short trip to tackle Manchester United in an eagerly anticipated first PL2 derby of the season.

WATCH: Fernandinho: ‘I had to prove my worth’

Saturday 28th

City v Arsenal (12.30pm); U18s v Nottm Forest (1pm)

City’s second Premier League home game of the season promises to be a belter with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal the visitors to the Etihad for the day’s early kick-off.

Matchday Live and our Matchday Centre will once again be across all the build-up, action and reaction.

Our Under-18s are also in lunchtime action, with Ben Wilkinson’s youngsters playing host to Nottingham Forest at the CFA.

Friday 31st:

Premier League transfer deadline

Always a fascinating date in the diary, the end of the month also marks the final day of the transfer window in England with the summer window officially closing at 11pm (BST). Once the deadline passes, teams can only make new signings in January.