New Premier League season kicks off with Arsenal vs Sunderland

The new season of English Premier League soccer kicks off this weekend with a must-watch match between Arsenal and Sunderland.

Just days before the start of a new Premier League season, Arsenal skipper Robin van Persie has officially jumped ship. He signed a four-year contract, worth a reported 200,000 pounds per week, with rival Manchester United. Although the prolific striker scored 30 goals to win the Golden Boot last year, it isn’t easy to see how he would fit into Sir Alex Ferguson’s already stacked lineup. Even more difficult is to judge how the transfer will affect Arsenal’s chances for a title run.

Arsenal’s opening match against Sunderland on Saturday, Aug. 18 (10am – ESPN, ESPN3, ESPN Deportes) will give Gooners a sense of what to expect this season. Van Persie is set to make his United debut against Everton on Monday, Aug. 20 (3pm – ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN Deportes).

Soccer on TV this week –

Where to watch the best soccer games on US television networks, including ESPN, Fox Soccer and Telefutura. All times Eastern.

FRIDAY, AUG. 17

Time League or
Competition
Teams Network Live or
Replay?
3:00a UEFA Champions League:
2011/12
FC Barcelona vs. Chelsea FC Fox
Soccer
Replay
10:00a UEFA Champions
League: 2011/12
FC BATE Borisov vs. FC Barcelona Fox
Soccer
Replay
11:00a English Premier
League: 2011/12
Manchester City vs. Stoke City Fox
Soccer Plus
Replay
1:00p UEFA
Champions League: 2011/12
FC Barcelona vs. Chelsea FC Fox Soccer Replay
1:00p International Friendly Puerto Rico vs.
Spain
ESPN Deportes Replay
3:00p English Premier League:
2011/12
Newcastle vs. Tottenham Fox
Soccer
Replay
3:00p International
Friendly
Italy vs.
England
GolTV Replay
5:00p F.A. Community Shield Chelsea vs.
Manchester City
Fox Soccer Plus Replay
5:00p International Friendly Sweden vs.
Brazil
GolTV Replay
8:00p F.A. Community Shield Chelsea vs.
Manchester City
Fox Soccer Replay
9:30p Mexican Primera Division Correcaminos
vs. CD Guadalajara
GolTV Live

SATURDAY, AUG. 18

Time League or
Competition
Teams Network Live or
Replay?
3:00a UEFA Champions League:
2011/12
Real Madrid CF vs. FC Bayern Munich Fox
Soccer
Replay
3:00a Mexican Primera
Division
Correcaminos vs. CD
Guadalajara
GolTV Replay
7:00a UEFA Champions League: 2011/12 FC
Barcelona vs. Chelsea FC
Fox Soccer Replay
9:30a English Premier League West Bromwich
Albion vs. Liverpool
Fox Soccer Live
9:50a English Premier League Arsenal vs.
Sunderland
ESPN, ESPN Deportes Live
9:53a English Premier League Fulham vs.
Norwich City
Fox Soccer Plus Live
10:00a International Friendly Sweden vs.
Brazil
GolTV Replay
12:00p English Premier League Newcastle vs.
Tottenham
Fox Soccer Live
12:00p International Friendly Italy vs.
England
GolTV Replay
2:30p English Premier League West Ham vs.
Aston Villa
Fox Soccer Taped
3:30p English Premier League QPR vs. Swansea
City
Fox Soccer Plus Taped
4:30p English Premier League Reading vs. Stoke
City
Fox Soccer Taped
5:30p International Friendly Sweden vs.
Brazil
GolTV Replay
7:00p Soccer Indiana University vs. Chivas de
Guadalajara U-23
Fox Soccer Live
7:30p International Friendly Italy vs.
England
GolTV Replay
8:00p English Premier League Fulham vs.
Norwich City
Fox Soccer Plus Replay
10:00p Spanish Supercup 2011, 1st Leg Real
Madrid vs. Barcelona
GolTV Replay

SUNDAY, AUG. 19

Time League or
Competition
Teams Network Live or
Replay?
12:00a Spanish Supercup 2011, 2nd
Leg
Barcelona vs. Real
Madrid
GolTV Replay
1:50a Women’s Soccer: FIFA U-20 World
Cup
Brazil vs. Italy ESPNU Live
3:00a Soccer Indiana University vs. Chivas de
Guadalajara U-23
Fox Soccer Replay
3:00a International Friendly Sweden vs.
Brazil
GolTV Replay
4:00a Women’s College Soccer: 2011 College Cup,
Championship
Duke vs. Stanford ESPNU Replay
6:10a Women’s
Soccer: FIFA U-20 World Cup
Japan vs.
Mexico
ESPNU Live
8:25a English Premier League Wigan vs.
Chelsea
Fox Soccer Live
10:30a English Premier League Manchester City
vs. Southampton
Fox Soccer Live
11:00a International Friendly Italy vs.
England
GolTV Replay
12:00p International Friendly Puerto Rico vs.
Espana
ESPN Deportes Replay
1:00p Mexican Primera Division Neza vs. Pumas
Morelos
GolTV Live
2:00p UEFA Champions League: 2011/12 FC Bayern
Munich vs. Chelsea FC
Fox Soccer Replay
2:00p English Premier League Fulham vs.
Norwich City
Fox Soccer Plus Replay
3:00p Brazilian Soccer Santos vs.
Corinthians
GolTV Live
4:00p Women’s College Soccer: 2011 College Cup,
Championship
Duke vs. Stanford ESPNU Replay
5:00p MLS
Soccer
Philadelphia Union at D.C. United NBC Sports
Network
Live
5:30p Women’s Soccer:
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Japan vs.
Mexico
ESPNU Replay
6:10p Argentine Soccer Tigre vs. River
Plate
GolTV Live
7:00p MLS
Soccer
Portland Timbers en New York Red
Bulls
Galavision Live
7:30p Women’s Soccer: FIFA U-20 World
Cup
Brazil vs. Italy ESPNU Replay
9:30p The FA Classic Collection Wimbledon vs.
Manchester United
Fox Soccer Replay
9:30p MLS 36 Fredy Montero NBC Sports
Network
Replay

MONDAY, AUG. 20

Time League or
Competition
Teams Network Live or
Replay?
12:00a Women’s College Soccer: 2011
College Cup, Championship
Duke vs. Stanford ESPNU Replay
12:30a Mexican
Primera Division
Neza vs. Pumas
Morelos
GolTV Replay
2:50a Women’s Soccer: FIFA U-20 World
Cup
Ghana vs. United States ESPNU Live
5:50a Women’s Soccer: FIFA U-20 World
Cup
Argentina vs. Canada ESPNU Live
2:55p English Premier League Everton vs.
Manchester United
ESPN2, ESPN Deportes Live
3:00p Soccer Indiana University vs. Chivas de
Guadalajara U-23
Fox Soccer Replay
3:00p Mexican Primera Division Neza vs. Pumas
Morelos
GolTV Replay
8:00p English Premier League Manchester City
vs. Southampton
Fox Soccer Replay
9:00p Women’s Soccer: FIFA U-20 World
Cup
Ghana vs. United
States
ESPNU Replay

TUESDAY, AUG. 21

Time League or
Competition
Teams Network Live or
Replay?
3:00a Soccer Indiana
University vs. Chivas de Guadalajara U-23
Fox
Soccer
Replay
12:00p UEFA Champions
League, Qualifying
FC Spartak Moskva vs.
Fenerbahce
Fox Soccer Plus Live
2:00p UEFA Champions League,
Qualifying
Helsingborgs IF vs. Celtic FC Fox Soccer Live
10:00p CONCACAF Champions League Real Salt
Lake vs. Tauro
Fox Soccer Live
10:00p CONCACAF Champions League Xelaju MC vs.
Chivas
Galavision Replay

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 22

Time League or
Competition
Teams Network Live or
Replay?
1:50a Women’s Soccer: FIFA U-20
World Cup
Brazil vs. Nigeria ESPNU Live
6:10a Women’s Soccer: FIFA U-20 World
Cup
Japan vs. New Zealand ESPNU Live
1:30p The FA Classic
Collection
Southampton vs. Tottenham Hotspur Fox
Soccer Plus
Replay
2:00p Women’s
Soccer: FIFA U-20 World Cup
Brazil vs.
Nigeria
ESPNU Replay
2:00p Mexican Primera Division Neza vs. Pumas
Morelos
GolTV Replay
2:00p UEFA Champions League, Qualifying SC
Braga v Udinese Calcio
Fox Soccer Live
2:00p UEFA Champions League, Qualifying AEL
Limassol FC v RSC Anderlecht
Fox Soccer
Plus
Live
2:30p English Premier
League
Chelsea vs. Reading ESPN2, ESPN
Deportes
Live
4:00p International
Friendly
Sweden vs.
Brazil
GolTV Replay
10:00p CONCACAF Champions League CD FAS vs.
Houston Dynamo
Fox Soccer Live
10:00p CONCACAF Champions League LD
Alajuelense vs.
Tigres
Galavision Live

THURSDAY, AUG. 23

Time League or
Competition
Teams Network Live or
Replay?
3:00a U.S. Open Cup 2012,
Final
Sporting Kansas City vs. Seattle Sounders
FC
GolTV Replay
5:50a Women’s Soccer: FIFA U-20 World
Cup
China vs. United States ESPNU Live
10:00a CONCACAF Champions League
Soccer
Real Salt Lake vs. Tauro Fox
Soccer
Replay
2:00p Women’s Soccer:
FIFA U-20 World Cup
China vs. United
States
ESPNU Replay
3:00p International Friendly Italy vs.
England
GolTV Replay
7:00p Women’s College Soccer Dayton vs. Boston
University
Fox Soccer Live
9:00p Women’s Soccer: FIFA U-20 World
Cup
China vs. United
States
ESPNU Replay
10:00p CONCACAF Champions League L.A. Galaxy
vs. Isidro Metapan
Fox Soccer, Galavision Live