THE start and ends dates for England's top league and cup competitions have been announced.

It has been confirmed by the Premier League that the season will start on Saturday, September 12, and end on Sunday, May 23, 2021.

But it is not yet known who Albion will face on the opening day of the campaign.

A complete fixtures list containing all 380 games will soon be available, with the competition promising fans this will arrive "no later than next Friday".

This will be the first time in three years that the Seagulls will not face Watford on the opening weekend of the Premier League - with the Hertfordshire side having been relegated last term.

The Argus:

At the start of the 2018/19 season, Albion were comfortably dispatched by the Hornets with two goals from Roberto Pereyra condemning the side to defeat.

Just 12 months later, however, it was a different story.

With Graham Potter at the helm, an impressive performance saw the Seagulls sweep Watford aside with a 3-0 victory.

An own-goal from Abdoulaye Doucoure gave Albion the advantage, and this was doubled in the second half by Florin Andone.

Neal Maupay, who celebrated his 24th birthday yesterday, sealed the deal by netting on his debut.

The Argus:

This was his first of ten Premier League goals last season, landing him the title of the club's top scorer and going a long way to justifying his £20 million price tag.

Albion's only other Premier League opening weekend fixture was a 2-0 defeat against a classy Manchester City outfit - though a resolute Seagulls side made the title favourites wait until the 70th minute before they were able to break the deadlock.

The dates for England's cup competitions have also been announced.

Albion will play their first FA cup fixture in the third round of the competition on January 9.

Last season the club fell at the first hurdle as they were eliminated by Championship side Sheffield Wednesday at this stage of the competition.

The previous season was a different story, with Albion reaching the semi-final of the world's oldest national football competition.

The Argus:

The club were eventually knocked out by Manchester City, undone by an early Gabriel Jesus goal in a 1-0 win for the then Premier League champions.

Next year, the final will be held on May 15.

But, for those looking for knockout football before 2021, the Carabao Cup will be starting far sooner.

The first round will be held on September 5, with results deciding who Albion could face when they enter the competition in its second round.

This will be played on September 15 and 16.

The Argus:

Last year, Albion bowed out of the tournament in a 3-1 loss to Aston Villa.

But the club did field a much-changed side, making 11 alterations to the team that had played in the Premier League in the club's previous match.

But there was reason to celebrate for Albion fans, with former Hove Park School pupil Haydon Roberts scoring his first goal for the club. The defender, who looked assured with the ball at his feet during the game, was just 17 years old at the time.

For teams that progress past the second round of the Carabao Cup, there will be some major changes to the scheduling of the competition with early rounds played in quick succession.

The Argus:

The third round will be held on September 22 and 23, the fourth round will be played on September 29 and 30 and round five will kick off on December 22, lasting two days.

The semi-finals, historically played over two legs, will now be decided in a single match.

These games will be played on January 5 and 6, with the game being hosted by whichever club is picked first in the draw.

The final will take place on February 28.