BT Sport to show London and Merseyside Derbies among top picks

The top London derby clash between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea is just one of the many unmissable Barclays Premier League football games to be shown by BT Sport in the first third of the season – the first time anyone other than Sky has had any of the top pick games.

Former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas will be hoping his Tottenham side can defeat his former mentor Jose Mourinho, who is back in the hotseat for the Blues.

BT executives were today thrilled after securing a series of big-club clashes. BT Sport will also show one of the most famous Premier League rivalries, as Everton play host to Liverpool in the celebrated Merseyside derby.

In addition, BT Sport has chosen two games involving champions Manchester United. Most notably, Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester United at White Hart Lane. And the Premier League holders’ home fixture against newly-promoted Crystal Palace.

Another top pick match scheduled on BT Sport is Newcastle v Liverpool at St James’ Park.

BT Sport will also be showing the match between former champions Manchester City, at home to European hopefuls Everton. And Arsenal fans will only have to wait until the second week of the season to enjoy a potentially tricky away game at Fulham live on BT Sport.

Simon Green, director of BT Sport, said:

We are thrilled that BT Sport viewers will be able to enjoy these top-of-the-table matches free with BT broadband.

This is the first time in Premier League history that top pick matches have been shown anywhere other than on  Sky, but Sky TV customers can easily add BT Sport by calling us and if they have BT Broadband they can get it for free.

We have only used five of our top picks, which means that BT Sport will have another 13 throughout the remainder of the season, so our viewers have many more excellent Premier League games to come.

In the first 13 Premier League rounds until December, we will show the biggest clubs at least twice including Tottenham taking on serious title contenders in both matches, against Manchester United and Chelsea.

We have Manchester United twice, Manchester City twice, Arsenal twice, Chelsea twice, Everton twice and Liverpool three times."

BT Sport’s first game of the season is Liverpool versus Stoke City at Anfield at 12.45pm on August 17. Former Liverpool and Stoke striker Michael Owen will be there in his first Premier League outing as a co-commentator for BT Sport.

On September 14, BT Sport will screen their first look at the current champions, when new Manchester United boss David Moyes plays host to Crystal Palace, led by their colourful manager Ian Holloway. Eagles fans will be keen to enjoy all the excitement of a huge Old Trafford clash now they are back in the top flight.

Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas will be playing host to his former colleague at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan, Jose Mourinho, on September 28, as both Portuguese managers launch serious bids for the top four, if not the title. Much may depend on the appearance of BT Sport ambassador Gareth Bale, who has become the hottest transfer target in the Premier League.

Three weeks later, Newcastle United are at home to Liverpool at St James’ Park. They will be looking to avenge a 6-0 thrashing dished out by the Reds in the corresponding fixture last season. Newcastle fans will be looking for any evidence that their new Director of Football Joe Kinnear has been the man to help Alan Pardew return them to the top half of the table.

BT Sport has two engrossing games in November. The Merseyside derby, at Goodison Park, will be the first taste of the memorable encounter for new Toffees boss Roberto Martinez on November 23.

And the following weekend, Tottenham Hotspur take on Manchester United at White Hart Lane, which ended in a 1-1 draw last term, courtesy of an injury time Clint Dempsey equaliser. The match will be moved to an early kick-off on Sunday, December 1, if Tottenham have reached the group stages of the Europa League.

BT SPORT EXCLUSIVELY LIVE MATCHES AUGUST-DECEMBER 2013

BT Sport will show 38 exclusively live football matches from the Barclays Premier League, including 18 of the ‘top picks’ from August 2013 for three seasons. The channels will also show live FA Cup, UEFA Europa League, top tier live football from Scotland, Germany, Italy, France, Brazil, Australia and the USA, plus action from the FA Women’s Super League and 30 live matches from the Football Conference.