Picture: Capital Football
We may still be a week away from the really big event in the calendar - Thursday's release of the EFL fixtures for the next season - but we have already been handed details of what awaits the Capital's Premier League sides and for Arsenal it isn't pretty.
**Arsenal**, who have finished runners-up three years in a row could hardly have been given a tougher start to the campaign with trips to Man United (on the opening weekend), champions Liverpool and Carabao Cup winners Newcastle in the first two months.
The home games will hardly be a pushover for the Gunners either, with newly-promoted Leeds followed by Nottingham Forest and Man City.
It should make no difference to their overall chances inasmuch as all the rivals have to be encountered at some stage, but back-to-back clashes of that intensity will test those summer preparations to the full.
A final-month run-in that remain within the M25 - with Fulham and Burnley at home and West Ham and Palace away - will be useful if they are in the mix when it comes to the title race but those early games should tell us a lot about their prospects.
Elsewhere, Thomas Frank's first game in charge for **Tottenham** is against Burnley on August 16, followed by a trip to Man City. In December, he will take on his old club Brentford at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (December 6) with the return at the Gtech on December 30.
Arsenal v Spurs is pencilled in for November 22, with the return on February 21.
**Brentford** begin life without Frank after a seven-year liaison, with a visit to Europa Conference qualifiers Nottingham Forest. The opening home game is against Aston Villa, with Chelsea the next visitors on September 13 - subject to TV alterations.
**Chelsea** will have not too long to rest up after taking part in the World Club Championships in the USA, so will be grateful they won't have to travel out of London in the opening weeks. They start with a derby against Crystal Palace and after a trip to West Ham take on Fulham at home and Brentford away.
FA Cup winners **Palace** return to Selhurst Park on August 23, matchday two, with a clash against Forest. Then they travel to Villa before taking on promotion play-off winners Sunderland in south London.
Once again, London is blessed when in comes to Premier League representation with seven teams : **Fulham and West Ham** also digesting those opening fixtures.
The Whites travel to Brighton on the opening day before hosting Man United in the match they always seem to lose at Craven Cottage. A trip to Chelsea adds to a very tough start to the season. Leeds and Brentford at home is followed by a trip to Aston Villa.
The Hammers, meanwhile are off to Sunderland's Stadium of Light for the curtain-raiser. A home game against Chelsea is followed by a trip to Forest and there are two more derbies in September against Spurs and Palace at the London Stadium before a visit to Everton's newly-unveiled Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.