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It may seem like the 2020-21 term has barely finished, but the upcoming 2021-22 season feels that little bit closer now that the fixtures for the new Premier League campaign have been announced.
Everton learnt their schedule on Wednesday morning, with a fairly kind start to the season which sees them face none of the traditional ‘Big Six’ in their opening six games.
They start by hosting Southampton during the weekend of August 13-16, and finish with a trip to Arsenal on Sunday, May 22, 2022.
And while the fourth and final stage of the UK’s roadmap out of restrictions to combat COVID-19 was pushed back from June 21 to July 19, it is still hoped that stadia will be full by the time the Premier League kicks off, having welcomed smaller crowds to the final two rounds of 2020-21 fixtures.
Here are the key dates to pencil in your Everton diary so far:
2021-22 - Everton key dates
June 2021
Wed 9 - Summer transfer window opens
July 2021
Mon 5 - Everton’s non-international players scheduled to begin pre-season training
Sat 10 - 2021 Copa América finishes
Sun 11 - Euro 2020 finishes
Sun 25 - Everton vs Millonarios (pre-season Florida Cup)
Wed 28 - Everton vs UNAM Pumas
August 2021
Sat 7 - Manchester United vs Everton (pre-season friendly)
Sat 14 - Everton vs Southampton (Premier League season begins)
Sat 21 - Leeds vs Everton
24-25 - Likely Carabao Cup Round 2 Dates
Sat 28 - Brighton vs Everton
Tue 31 - Summer transfer window closes (11pm BST)
September 2021
Sat 11 - Everton vs Burnley
Sat 18 - Aston Villa vs Everton
21-22 - Likely Carabao Cup Round 3 Dates
Sat 25 - Everton vs Norwich
October 2021
Sat 2 - Manchester United vs Everton
Sat 16 - Everton vs West Ham
Sat 23 - Everton vs Watford
26-27 - Likely Carabao Cup Round 4 Dates
Sat 30 - Wolves vs Everton
November 2021
Sat 6 - Everton vs Tottenham
Sat 20 - Manchester City vs Everton
Sat 27 - Brentford vs Everton
Tue 30 - Everton vs Liverpool
December 2021
Sat 4 - Everton vs Arsenal
Sat 11 - Crystal Palace vs Everton
Wed 15 - Chelsea vs Everton (may be postponed should this coincide with Chelsea’s involvement in the Club World Cup)
Sat 18 - Everton vs Leicester
21-22 - Likely Carabao Cup Quarter-Finals Dates
Sun 26 - Burnley vs Everton
Tue 28 - Everton vs Newcastle
January 2022
Sat 1 - Everton vs Brighton
Sat 1 - Winter transfer window opens
4-5 - Likely Carabao Cup Semi-Final First Leg Dates
8-9 - Likely FA Cup Round 3 Dates
11-12 - Likely Carabao Cup Semi-Final Second Leg Dates
Sat 15 - Norwich vs Everton
Sat 22 - Everton vs Aston Villa
February 2022
Tue 1 - Winter transfer window closes (00:00 GMT)
5-6 - Likely FA Cup Round 4 Dates
Wed 9 - Newcastle vs Everton
Sat 12 - Everton vs Leeds
Sat 19 - Southampton vs Everton
Sat 26 - Everton vs Manchester City
Sun 27 - Carabao Cup Final
March 2022
1-3 - Likely FA Cup Round 5 Dates
Sat 5 - Tottenham vs Everton
Sat 12 - Everton vs Wolves
Sat 19 - Watford vs Everton
19-20 - Likely FA Cup Quarter-Final Dates
April 2022
Sat 2 - West Ham vs Everton
Sat 9 - Everton vs Manchester United
Sat 16 - Everton vs Crystal Palace
16-17 - Likely FA Cup Semi-Final Dates
Sat 23 - Liverpool vs Everton
Sat 30 - Everton vs Chelsea
May 2022
Sat 7 - Leicester vs Everton
Sat 14 - Likely FA Cup Final Date
Sun 15 - Everton vs Brentford
Sun 22 - Arsenal vs Everton
Everton have yet to announce any further pre-season friendlies beyond their pair of matches in the United States in late July and their trip to Manchester United in early August.
Their league fixtures are subject to change due to live broadcast, though all of Everton’s August Premier League matches were untouched and will be 3pm BST Saturday kick-offs.
Due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the footballing calendar, the schedule was slightly condensed last year, with FA Cup replays scrapped and Carabao Cup semi-finals changing from two-legged affairs to single matches.
As yet, there has been nothing to suggest replays and two-legged Carabao Cup semi-finals will not return for the 2021-22 campaign.
There will also be no winter break for the Premier League for the second year running, with the gap in the schedule at the end of January owing to a round of 2022 World Cup qualifiers for international sides.
Though, UEFA are not included in this window, so European players will get a smaller break, of sorts.