Shiny and New: A Guide To August's fixtures

Liverpool start off the season at home against Southampton, in a season that promises us hallowed European nights as Champions League football returns to the five-time champions of Europe, and promising youngsters could also stake a claim, as the likes of Suso, Andre Wisdom, Fabio Borini and Tiago Ilori, all return from successful loan periods last season.

The summer transfer window has also already brought us four signings in the form of boyhood red Rickie Lambert, midfielder Adam Lallana, who both joined from Southampton, promising German player Emre Can from Bayer Leverkusen, and Lazar Markovic, who arrived from Benfica, as well as Ian Ayre promising that we would continue to spend to bolster our squad for the coming season, which will see us involved on four fronts, the Champions League, Premier League, Capital One Cup and FA Cup.

That said, there's still a bit between now and the beginning of the season, but we can begin to look ahead to the start of the campaign now, in earnest.

Sunday, August 17th

Southampton (H) - 1:30PM BST, 7:30AM EST

Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert could potentially make their debuts in dramatic fashion as Liverpool face the Saints to get our season underway. Last season's edition of this fixture ended in the Reds losing their first match of the season, courtesy of a Dejan Lovren goal, the Croatian defender, this year, however, he's heavily rumored to be making the switch to Anfield having reportedly put in a transfer request and stating that his head is "Already in Liverpool."

The Saints have been one of our bogey teams of late, with the St. Mary's side earning many a scalp off the Reds. But after finally breaking the 7 year winless streak on opening day last year against Stoke, Brendan Rodgers' men will surely be looking to continue the trend set last year.

Monday, August 25th

Man City (A) - 8:00PM BST, 3:00PM EST

The computer was less kind to us with this fixture. But in saying that, we've had a bit of luck against City at the Etihad in recent seasons. Captain Fantastic converted a penalty that eventually got us to Wembley in the 2012 Capital One Cup. We played that epic 2-2 draw against them in 2013, and were unlucky losers in last season's corresponding fixture, though got our own back thanks to Phil Coutinho's superb volley late at Anfield last season.

This is one of the biggest matches in which to determine our potential to finish in a Champions League spot. Bar injuries, we'd definitely need to play at full strength with our best football on display, and we all know what we can do when we're on our best form.

Sunday, August 31st

Tottenham (A) - 1:30PM BST, 3:00PM EST

Having broken our hoodoo against Spurs in a double over the Londoners this past season, (one of the fixtures being one that Jon Flanagan will remember for the rest of his life) we look to continue the trend this year, just as with opening day.

Like the City game, this is one where we'll have to be on our best game if we expect to get anything. Tottenham's signings from last year will have that one year of acclimation under their belt, and one expects them to kick on and challenge for the European places.

It goes without saying that, especially in the opening stages of the campaign, Liverpool must fire on all cylinders. I have no doubt, however, in Brendan Rodgers ability to galvanize the side, having seen him do it many a time before, and can't wait to see what the season holds.