2025-26 fixtures released
There may be two months to go until the 2025-26 Premier League season gets underway, but the release of the fixture list has whetted the appetite of fans across the division.
Consisting of 38 rounds of matches over nine months, with each team playing their 19 rivals once at home and once away, the opening few games are often decisive in building momentum to set the tone for the campaign, or derailing it through diminishing confidence.
These early matches alone will not define a season but they play a significant role in shaping its course, and naturally attract the attention on fixture-release day.
Liverpool’s strong start last season provided Arne Slot’s side with the platform to win the league but conversely, Crystal Palace won just one of their opening 13 league fixtures yet a turnaround in form saw them record a 12th-place finish and success in the FA Cup.
So, objectively, how tough is your team’s start?
The Athletic has ranked every Premier League club’s opening five matches, based on last season’s final table. We’ve added in the three promoted sides, Leeds United (champions), Burnley (runners-up) and Sunderland (play-off final winners), as the 18th, 19th and 20th hardest teams to play respectively based on rankings.
We’ve added it up to give each team’s start a ‘difficulty value’. The higher the score, the harder it is. We’ve also removed the team concerned from their individual calculation (they can’t play themselves), meaning opponents are ranked from one to 19. So playing Liverpool, last season’s champions, is worth 19 points, while a fixture against play-off winners Sunderland is one point.
1. Manchester United
Ruben Amorim faces a definitive season at Old Trafford following a 15th-place finish and Europa League final defeat. United objectively face the toughest start to the 2025-26 campaign, playing three of last season’s top four in the opening five fixtures.
A trip to Fulham and home game against newly-promoted Burnley are also up early for United, who can take solace that four of their opening five matches are in Manchester with the fixtures against Arsenal and Chelsea both coming at Old Trafford.
Fixtures: Arsenal, Fulham, Burnley, Manchester City, Chelsea
Total ‘difficulty’ value: 62
2. Arsenal
Arsenal will be aiming for the league title this season after so many second-place finishes, but an opening-day trip to Old Trafford and an away game at Liverpool in matchday three present immediate challenges that could see Mikel Arteta’s side lose early ground. The visits of Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Manchester City will each provide different stylistic challenges to test Arsenal’s resolve.
Fixtures: Manchester United, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City
Total ‘difficulty’ value: 60
3. Liverpool
Champions Liverpool open the Premier League season with a Friday night match at home to Bournemouth but the following two matches, away to Newcastle and at home to Arsenal, both saw dropped points last season. An early Merseyside derby at home to Everton completes a testing opening run, but ensures a first trip to their rival’s new home at Hill Dickinson Stadium is pushed back until the second half of the campaign.
Fixtures: Bournemouth, Newcastle, Arsenal, Burnley, Everton
Total ‘difficult’ value: 57
4. Bournemouth
One of the surprise packages of 2024-25, Bournemouth won just one of their opening five fixtures last season and face another difficult start this time. However, after a daunting opening trip to Anfield, three of their next four games are at home while they have impressed in recent trips to Tottenham.
Fixtures: Liverpool, Wolves, Tottenham, Brighton, Newcastle
Total ‘difficulty’ value: 55
4. Newcastle United
With Newcastle back in the Champions League, Eddie Howe’s side will prioritise putting points on the board early with one eye on a congested mid-season run of games. Aston Villa and Liverpool are not what they would have had in mind to open the campaign, and could put pressure on tricky away trips to Elland Road and the Vitality Stadium.
Fixtures: Aston Villa, Liverpool, Leeds, Wolves, Bournemouth
Total ‘difficulty’ value: 54
5. Brentford
Brentford arguably have more work to do than any other side before the start of the new season as they seek to replace head coach Thomas Frank and also hold on to their top talent, including Bryan Mbeumo. The new head coach opens with a testing trip to the City Ground, while there will be two early west London derbies at home to Chelsea and away to Fulham.
Fixtures: Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Chelsea, Fulham
Total ‘difficulty’ value: 54
‘Difficulty’ ranking of each Premier League club’s first five fixtures in the 2025-26 season
Manchester United
62
Arsenal
60
Liverpool
57
Bournemouth
55
Newcastle United
54
Brentford
54
Wolves
53
Everton
53
Leeds United
53
Brighton
51
Crystal Palace
51
Tottenham Hotspur
48
Nottingham Forest
47
Fulham
47
Manchester City
46
Aston Villa
44
Chelsea
43
West Ham United
42
Burnley
41
Sunderland
39
Note: ‘Difficulty’ determined by assigning a value to first five opponents from 1 (easiest) to 19 (hardest), based on 2024-25 finishing positions.
