Tottenham Hotspur

Ralph Hasenhuttl's Southampton will visit North London on the opening weekend, as Antonio Conte prepares for his first full season in charge of the North London club with Champions League football in tow.

The Lilywhites will also be fighting for success in the FA Cup and EFL Cup as they desperately seek to end their 14-year trophy drought, but the early signs in the summer transfer window are promising.

Here, Sports Mole picks out some of the key talking points from Tottenham's 2022-23 Premier League fixture list.

EARLY EXAMINATIONS

Spurs will kick off the new Premier League season at home for the fourth campaign in a row, with Aston Villa, Everton and Manchester City previously travelling to North London on the opening weekend.

Big things will be expected of the Lilywhites against Southampton after they edged Man City 1-0 in gameweek one last season, but things do not get easier for Tottenham, whose first away match of the season comes against Chelsea.

Tottenham will also travel to newly-promoted Nottingham Forest and West Ham United in August, and a trip to Manchester City on September 10 is sandwiched in between their first two Champions League group-stage matches.

The first North London derby of the season also comes relatively early in their schedule, as Arsenal make the journey to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 1, and Conte's side face three more Champions League fixtures that month.

Spurs' early transfer business will seemingly become even more of a blessing as their new arrivals prepare for a lengthy integration period, and they will certainly need a strong sense of cohesion to navigate the challenging start with aplomb.

MAKE-OR-BREAK FEBRUARY

Spurs may still be battling for glory in all four competitions by the time February rolls around, and the month will begin with a proper test of the Lilywhites' mettle with a home clash against Man City on April 4.

Should Spurs manage to progress to the EFL Cup semi-finals, they will play the second leg of that tie three days before taking on Pep Guardiola's men, and a trip to Leicester City awaits on February 11.

Two London derbies also await Spurs in February, and they are far from straightforward, as West Ham United and Chelsea travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 18 and February 25 respectively.

Conte's side certainly have not been feeling the love from the fixture schedulers around the Valentine's Day period, as the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie - should they make it out of the group - will be played either the week commencing February 13 or February 20.

A potential EFL Cup final date awaits Tottenham on February 26 too, so do not be surprised to see Conte try to bolster his side further in January to cope with the upcoming hectic demands.

MERRY MONTH OF MAY

Once the dreaded February and April periods are over, Tottenham can look forward to a simple cruise to the finish line on paper, as their Big Six clashes will cease with the trip to Liverpool on April 29.

May kicks off with a home clash against Crystal Palace for Tottenham, who also have a trip to Aston Villa to prepare for on May 13 before their final home game of the season against Brentford seven days later.

Spurs will wrap up the Premier League season with another winnable fixture away to Leeds United, and depending on how far they make it in Europe and the FA Cup, Conte's side will be grateful for such a run.

Once the top-flight season is done and dusted, the FA Cup final will take place on June 3, and seven days later, the Champions League final kicks off in Istanbul.

There is genuine belief that Conte could finally end the Lilywhites' barren trophyless run - something neither Jose Mourinho nor Mauricio Pochettino was able to do - and optimism could hardly be higher at Hotspur Way ahead of the new term.