Martin O'Neill admits to "challenging" start

Martin O'Neill has admitted that his Sunderland side face a tough start to the upcoming Premier League campaign.

The Black Cats face a trip to Arsene Wenger's Arsenal, who finished last season in third place.

Despite acknowledging the size of the task in front of his team, O'Neill has revealed that he cannot wait to get started.

"The confirmation of the fixtures galvanises everyone's thoughts towards the new season and the planning and preparation has already begun in earnest," he told the club's official website.

"Our opening game is certainly a challenging one. There's a lot of hard work to be done between now and then in order to ensure we are ready for the season ahead, but we are certainly looking forward to seeing what we can achieve."

A full list of the Premier League fixtures for the 2012-13 season can be found here.