Manchester United Schedule 2016-17: Premier League Fixtures Released

Jose Mourinho's first Premier League game in charge of Manchester United will be against Bournemouth on Saturday, August 13.

The fixtures were announced on Wednesday via the Premier League's official website, and Mourinho will face Pep Guardiola in the Manchester Derby for the first time on September 10 at the Etihad Stadium.

United will also take on champions Leicester City before facing Liverpool and Arsenal back-to-back in October. As noted by ESPN's Alex Shaw and Rob Dawson of the Manchester Evening News, the Red Devils also have a very difficult run-in:

Here is United's complete fixture list for the 2016-17 season:

Date	Fixture
13 Aug 2016	AFC Bournemouth (A)
20 Aug 2016	Southampton (H)
27 Aug 2016	Hull City (A)
10 Sep 2016	Manchester City (H)
17 Sep 2016	Watford (A)
24 Sep 2016	Leicester City (H)
01 Oct 2016	Stoke City (H)
15 Oct 2016	Liverpool (A)
22 Oct 2016	Chelsea (A)
29 Oct 2016	Burnley (H)
05 Nov 2016	Swansea City (A)
19 Nov 2016	Arsenal (H)
26 Nov 2016	West Ham United (H)
03 Dec 2016	Everton (A)
10 Dec 2016	Tottenham Hotspur (H)
13 Dec 2016	Crystal Palace (A)
17 Dec 2016	West Bromwich Albion (A)
26 Dec 2016	Sunderland (H)
31 Dec 2016	Middlesbrough (H)
02 Jan 2017	West Ham United (A)
14 Jan 2017	Liverpool (H)
21 Jan 2017	Stoke City (A)
31 Jan 2017	Hull City (H)
04 Feb 2017	Leicester City (A)
11 Feb 2017	Watford (H)
25 Feb 2017	Manchester City (A)
04 Mar 2017	AFC Bournemouth (H)
11 Mar 2017	Southampton (A)
18 Mar 2017	Middlesbrough (A)
01 Apr 2017	West Bromwich Albion (H)
04 Apr 2017	Everton (H)
08 Apr 2017	Sunderland (A)
15 Apr 2017	Chelsea (H)
22 Apr 2017	Burnley (A)
29 Apr 2017	Swansea City (H)
06 May 2017	Arsenal (A)
13 May 2017	Tottenham Hotspur (A)
21 May 2017	Crystal Palace (H)

The Red Devils finished fifth last season under Louis van Gaal as they missed out on the UEFA Champions League for the second time in three seasons, which was undoubtedly a factor in his sacking.

After bringing in serial title-winner Mourinho to replace the Dutchman, United left their rivals in no doubt—they intend to win the Premier League this year.

In the 12 full seasons he's overseen as a manager, the Special One has only finished outside the top two once, when he guided Chelsea to third in his first campaign back at Stamford Bridge in the 2013-14 season.

Per Sky Sports News HQ, he also boasts an incredible record in the Premier League:

Though United are also in the UEFA Europa League, it's likely their domestic campaign will be a priority as they seek the title and the regular UEFA Champions League football they enjoyed under Sir Alex Ferguson.

With Chelsea and Manchester City likely to be much-improved under Antonio Conte and Guardiola, not to mention the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur targeting a top-four finish at a minimum also, getting off to a good start will be imperative.

Mourinho will potentially face a difficult start to life at Old Trafford with Leicester and several other title rivals awaiting in the early part of the season.

One of Van Gaal's few saving graces last season was his strong record against the league's top sides.

While one would expect that to continue under the Special One, the arrival of a new manager and players will likely necessitate a bedding-in period, which makes their tough run of games far from ideal.

However, if they can pass those tests relatively unscathed, their chances of enjoying a successful season will look good.