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Sky Sports has confirmed its first batch of live Premier League fixtures for the 2008-09 season.

Click here to see live fixtures in full

Champions Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal are all in action on the opening weekend, kicking off 35 live games between August and November, that include...

ALL THE CLUBS - Every one of the 20 clubs will be seen in the initial set of live matches with all three promoted clubs shown live in the first four months.

FIVE HEAD-TO-HEADS - Each clash between last year's top four; Liverpool v Manchester United (September 13), Chelsea v Manchester United (September 21), Chelsea v Liverpool (October 26), Arsenal v Manchester United (November 8), and Chelsea v Arsenal (November 30)

MAJOR DERBIES - Eight big derbies including: West Bromwich Albion v Aston Villa (September 21), Everton v Liverpool (September 27), Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur (October 29), Manchester City v Manchester United (November 29), and Chelsea v Arsenal (November 30)

MORE BIG GAMES - Last year's top four teams will be seen in nine other live matches.

This season Sky Sports will offer 92 live matches from the Barclays Premier League and will show delayed coverage of another 242 games with digital viewers able to choose highlights from a range of games on Football First: Match Choice. We will also offer Barclays Premier League coverage through mobile and broadband.

Announcing the initial live matches Vic Wakeling, Managing Director of Sky Sports, said: "We think this is our best start to a season in 17 years of Premier League football on Sky.

"We see last season's top three on the first weekend - we see five big four head-to-heads - eight big derby matches - and, most important of all, all 20 clubs are live in the first four months of the season."

Curtain-raiser

The curtain-raiser on opening day, Saturday, August 17 is West Brom's visit to Arsenal, while the following day, we are at Chelsea for the visit of FA Cup winners Portsmouth and Luiz Felipe Scolari's first game in charge.

Champions Manchester United complete a blockbusting double header as they play host to Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United in Sunday's second game.

Sky Sports is also showing five clashes between last season's big four before the end of November, with Liverpool v Manchester United on September 13 and the champions visit to Chelsea on September 21. Chelsea play host to Liverpool on October 26 before Arsenal against Manchester United on November 8 and the London derby between Chelsea and Arsenal on November 30.

We also have the Premier League's big derbies including West Brom against Aston Villa on September 21, while our cameras will be at Goodison Park for the 208th Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool on Saturday, September 27.

October features the Tyne-Wear showdown between Sunderland and Newcastle on Saturday 25, just four days before the North London battle between Arsenal and Spurs at the Emirates.

And in November, Mark Hughes and Manchester City lock horns with their local rivals United on Sunday 30, as a part of a massive double-header which also includes Chelsea against Arsenal.

Sky Sports' live Premier League fixtures