Norwich City will travel to Wigan Athletic on August 13 for their first Premier League game of the season.

The release of all top-flight fixtures may not have thrown up the home game that everyone wanted - they will have to wait a week before City step out in front of a packed Carrow Road to face Tony Pulis' Stoke City side.

Then comes the first of the genuine glamour games, when City head to London to face the star-studded – but currently managerless – Chelsea side who finished second last season.

The big away trip to Manchester United comes early in the season, on October 1, and three weeks later there is another trip to the north-west, this time to face what is expected to be a resurgent Liverpool side under manager Kenny Dalglish.

Other big dates for the diary will be over Christmas, when City have a Boxing Day home fixture against Tottenham Hotspur - who now become their closest rivals, geographically at least, in the top flight. New Year's Eve sees a home game against Fulham, but the first game of 2012 will be in London, against fellow new boys Queens Park Rangers.

The Easter weekend brings a home game against David Moyes' Everton, with a Easter Monday trip to Spurs.

City fans looking forward to their first trip to Arsenal's Emirates Stadium will have to be patient - that doesn't come around until the penultimate game of the season, on May 5.

The season ends at home, against Aston Villa.

Promotion to the top flight pits Paul Lambert against some of the game's great managers and players, and while the City boss has insisted that he has no preferences about the order in which they come, there are runs of games which stand out.

Perhaps most noticeable is the final full month of the campaign, April, when City face three of last season's top-six finishers. It starts with the Easter clashes before Manchester City come to Carrow Road on April 14. A week later it's a trip north to Blackburn, with Liverpool visiting Carrow Road at the end of the month.

December is the busiest month, with six games - three home and three away.

There are some poignant fixtures for City: the trip to Fulham at the end of March will see fans return to what many regard as 'the scene of the crime' - where City were thumped 6-0 in their last Premier League game as they crashed out of the top flight after just one season.

Much happier memories will be revived when the champions come to Norwich in February - the last time Fergie stood on the Carrow Road touchline was in April, 2005, when he saw his team beaten 2-0 thanks.

• For a complete list of Norwich City's 2011/12 Premier League fixtures go to www.pinkun.com