As the newly announced fixtures for the 2024/25 Premier League season take center stage, fans are eagerly dissecting the schedule.
Manchester City is poised to start the season as strong contenders, eyeing an impressive fifth consecutive title victory.
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Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United are all set to bolster their squads this summer in hopes of a swift and impactful start.
Yet, it remains to be seen if any of these potential challengers have received a favorable lineup from those who’ve arranged the fixtures.
According to Opta’s thorough analysis of the initial five matches each team will face, it appears Liverpool has an advantageous start.
Under Arne Slot’s new management, Liverpool will kick off their season against Ipswich, a team celebrating their Premier League comeback after 22 years, at Portman Road.
Following their opener, Liverpool will welcome Brentford at home before facing a challenging encounter at Old Trafford—a place where they experienced setbacks last season in both the league and FA Cup.
Premier League opening weekend fixtures
Friday, 16 August
Manchester United v Fulham (20:00)
Saturday, 17 August
Ipswich Town v Liverpool (12:30)
Arsenal v Wolverhampton (15:00)
Everton v Brighton (15:00)
Newcastle United v Southampton (15:00)
Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth (15:00)
West Ham United v Aston Villa (17:30)
Sunday, 18 August
Brentford v Crystal Palace (14:00)
Chelsea v Manchester City (16:30)
Monday, 19 August
Leicester City v Tottenham (20:00)
Liverpool’s opening quintet of games concludes with Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth at home, presenting them with the most favorable average opponent rating of 83.7 among all 20 Premier League clubs.
Arsenal, who finished second last season, face a formidable set of matches, reflected in their high average opponent rating of 88.7.
The Gunners’ season begins with a seemingly manageable home game against Wolves, followed by challenging visits to Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Tottenham.
The intensity of these fixtures is amplified by a Champions League match set between clashes with the current champions and their local rivals.
Manchester City and Chelsea are closely matched in terms of fixture difficulty, culminating in an early-season showdown on August 18 that promises to be the season’s first blockbuster Sunday.
Erik Ten Hag and Manchester United can approach the start of the season with cautious optimism, barring the Liverpool match.
However, they won’t underestimate Fulham, who managed an unexpected victory at Old Trafford in the previous campaign.
