World (AP)

Man City opens title defense at Chelsea as Guardiola comes up against former assistant Maresca

Man City opens title defense at Chelsea as Guardiola comes up against former assistant Maresca

LONDON (AP) — Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will come up against a familiar face in his team’s opening match of its Premier League title defense.

City will start the season away at Chelsea, whose new manager is Enzo Maresca — an assistant to Guardiola at City in the 2022-23 season.

It’s part of a tough start for City, which also hosts Arsenal and visits Newcastle away in the opening six games as the team begins its bid for a record-extending fifth straight English top-flight title.

The season will kick off on Aug. 16 when Manchester United hosts Fulham.

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