Manchester United Schedule 2013-14: List of Fixtures and Early Analysis

If Manchester United are going to defend their Premier League title it will come under the guidance of David Moyes, who replaced legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Now, the club also knows the schedule it will need to navigate.

The Red Devils' complete fixture list for the 2013-14 season has been released, as seen here on the club's official site.

Let's take a glance at the 38-match road United will have to travel, followed by a breakdown of the biggest challenges the club will face.

Date	Opponent	Home/Road
Aug. 17	Swansea City	Road
Aug. 24	Chelsea	Home
Aug. 31	Liverpool	Road
Sept. 14	Crystal Palace	Home
Sept. 21	Manchester City	Road
Sept. 28	West Bromwich Albion	Home
Oct. 5	Sunderland	Road
Oct. 19	Southampton	Home
Oct. 26	Stoke City	Home
Nov. 2	Fulham	Road
Nov. 9	Arsenal	Home
Nov. 23	Cardiff City	Road
Nov. 30	Tottenham Hotspur	Road
Dec. 3	Everton	Home
Dec. 7	Newcastle United	Home
Dec. 14	Aston Villa	Road
Dec. 21	West Ham United	Home
Dec. 26	Hull City	Road
Dec. 28	Norwich City	Road
Jan. 1	Tottenham Hotspur	Home
Jan. 11	Swansea City	Home
Jan. 18	Chelsea	Road
Jan. 28	Cardiff City	Home
Feb. 1	Stoke City	Road
Feb. 8	Fulham	Home
Feb. 11	Arsenal	Road
Feb. 22	Crystal Palace	Road
Mar. 1	Manchester City	Home
Mar. 8	West Bromwich Albion	Road
Mar. 15	Liverpool	Home
Mar. 22	West Ham United	Road
Mar. 29	Aston Villa	Home
Apr. 5	Newcastle United	Road
Apr. 12	Hull City	Home
Apr. 19	Everton	Road
Apr. 26	Norwich City	Home
May 3	Sunderland	Home
May 11	Southampton	Road

As always, the first thing United supporters look for when the fixtures are released are the matchups with Manchester City—for good reason, of course. Not only are they big local rivalry games, but they are key in the title chase, as well.

City pose the biggest challenge after winning the title two seasons ago. They already have an elite squad and will likely bolster it with some summer recruits to join the likes of Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany and David Silva, who seek a return to the top.

Along with City, the biggest matches on the schedule are those against the clubs perennially battling for Champions League spots. Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham were the only other sides to finish with more than 70 points last season.

The goal for Robin van Persie and Co. in those eight turning-point fixtures is winning at home and drawing on the road. It's certainly a daunting task, but pulling it off would put United on a clear path to yet another championship.

A lot will depend on how Moyes handles the squad. Ferguson gained the respect of players during his nearly three decades with the club. That process is just getting started for the former Everton boss, who faces the toughest task of his managerial career.

Striking the right balance between what players became accustomed to under Ferguson and making changes to fit his personal preferences—in terms of building a squad and in-match tactics—is what Moyes must do on the fly during his first campaign.

The smoother the transition, the better United's hopes of repeating as Premier League champs. The talent is there. From Van Persie leading the attack to David de Gea protecting the goal and everybody in between, the Red Devils are ready for another successful season.

How they perform in the 38 matches listed above will determine exactly how successful that is.