Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has told the club's official website that he is looking forward to taking on Tottenham Hotspur on the opening day of the new Premier League season.
The Magpies won promotion back to the Premier League by clinching the Championship title, and are now preparing for their return to the top flight.
Manager Benitez has already tied up one permanent signing this summer by landing loanee Christian Atsu on a full-time basis, and more additions are expected before the start of the season.
Today, another step in the preparation came to light as Premier League managers were given a glimpse at the new season as the fixtures for the 2017/18 campaign were released.
Newcastle will start their season at home to Tottenham Hotspur, just as they did on the opening day of the 2012/13 Premier League campaign – a game which the Magpies won 2-1.
The opening day fixture is also fascinating given that Newcastle's last Premier League encounter also came against Spurs, and Benitez saw his then-already-relegated Magpies pick up a stunning 5-1 win.
Benitez will be hoping for a similar result, when the two teams face off in August, and he has spoken to the club's official website about the game.
Benitez has admitted that it's 'great' to kick off the new season against Spurs, but noted that it will be 'very tough' against such a strong Tottenham side, adding that it will be completely different from that 5-1 victory over a year ago.
“It's a great start at home to Tottenham and a really exciting first game at St. James' Park for our fans to enjoy,” said Benitez. “We will all have extra motivation for that game, but it will be a very tough start too because Spurs showed how good they are last season.”
“Of course they were our last Premier League opponents here too, which was a memorable match for everyone, but this time around it will be completely different,” he added.