Every 26/27 Premier League Club's First 5 Games Ranked By Difficulty

He joined in April 2024, having previously worked at VAVEL as Deputy Editor-in-Chief, where he produced a variety of content, including pieces from press conferences and games. He also won an award for his role as lead editor for the Women's Football section of the online newspaper.

Covering football all across Europe, he has worked at stadiums such as Anfield, Old Trafford, and Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park, as well as having reported at both the 2023 men's and women's Champions League finals in Eindhoven and Istanbul.

He is infatuated with every aspect of football, but likes other sports as well, being an avid coffee-desperate Buffalo Bills supporter from across the pond and a darts' newbie. Sign in to your GiveMeSport account Every Premier League club has been ranked by how difficult their first five fixtures of the 2026/27 campaign are based on the stats, and it would appear Liverpool's life under Andoni Iraola could be off to a flyer. Of course, it's always difficult to predict how a team's season will unfold, especially before a ball has even been kicked.

A club's performances from the previous campaign, the quality of its squad and manager, and how kindly the fixture list falls can all offer clues. But the truth is, a week is a long time in football, let alone an entire summer. Transfer windows can change the landscape so dramatically that nobody can be completely sure how teams will fare when the new term gets underway.

Will Arsenal retain their title and continue laying the foundations of a dynasty under Mikel Arteta? What does life after Pep Guardiola look like for Manchester City? Or can a refreshed Tottenham side rise from the ashes and hit the ground running?

They are all fair questions to ponder as domestic football takes a back seat to the 2026 World Cup, with every club knowing that a positive start could set the tone for the season ahead, and Opta have put in the hard yards to work out which clubs have it easiest at the start based on opponents' average rating.

Predicting how the 2026-27 Premier League table will look after the opening five gameweeks

Only two clubs have an easier start to the season than Liverpool, whose opponents have an average rating of 90.3/100. As fate would have it, the Reds once again begin their campaign away at Newcastle - the scene of last season's dramatic 4-3 victory, when Rio Ngumoha struck a late winner. They then face Nottingham Forest and Fulham at Anfield, with a trip to Fulham sandwiched in between, before Iraola returns to Bournemouth for the first time since his departure last season in gameweek five.

Newcastle (89.9) have a slightly easier schedule on paper, helped in no small part by a home fixture against playoff winners Hull City in gameweek five. However, Manchester United (89.3) boast the most favourable opening run, with the Red Devils kicking off the season with back-to-back matches against newly promoted Hull City and Ipswich Town. The viral fan who vowed not to cut his hair until United win five matches in a row will be hoping a trip to the barbers is finally on the cards after a matchweek-three visit to Everton, before their city rivals make the short journey to Old Trafford a week later.

The Merseysiders have wasted no time in life after Arne Slot, with transfer plans under Andoni Iraola already being put together.

Rounding out this section are Brentford and Crystal Palace. Both clubs head into the campaign on the back of hugely successful seasons. Keith Andrews' side mounted an unlikely push for Europa Conference League qualification, only to be pipped by Brighton on goal difference, while the Eagles won that very competition in Oliver Glasner's final match in charge.

Every PL Club's First 5 Fixtures Ranked From Easiest To Hardest (20-16)

HUL (A), IPS (H), EVE (A), MCI (H), FUL (A)

LIV (H), TOT (A), BOU (H), LEE (A), HUL (H)

NEW (A), NFO (H), IPS (A), FUL (H), BOU (A)

TOT (H), LEE (A), SUN (H), BOU (A), CHE (H)

EVE (A), MCI (H), FUL (A), IPS (H), LEE (A)

As champions, Arsenal have the privilege of kicking off the new season at home to last season's Championship winners, Coventry City, on Friday night. Trips to Chelsea and Sunderland that follow are far from straightforward, but the Gunners have already shown they possess the mentality to overcome whatever is thrown their way. Manchester City's schedule has been given the same difficulty rating of 90.9, which is just 0.1 less favourable than Everton's.

Nottingham Forest's opponent rating of 91.1 has been driven up by away trips to both Liverpool and Aston Villa. As a result, Vitor Pereira will be desperate to bank points from their other three fixtures - Leeds United, Tottenham, and Coventry City at the City Ground - to avoid unwanted pressure from owner Evangelos Marinakis. The Greek businessman proved last season that he is not afraid to pull the trigger, cycling through four different head coaches in a managerial merry-go-round.

Aston Villa come in with the 11th-most difficult opening run of fixtures. A 176-mile trip to the south coast to face Brighton is no easy way to start the campaign, and things hardly get any easier with Arsenal visiting Villa Park in their second match.

Every PL Club's First 5 Fixtures Ranked From Easiest To Hardest (15-11)

CRY (H), BOU (A), MUN (H), TOT (A), IPS (H)

BOU (H), CRY (A), COV (H), MUN (A), SUN (H)

COV (H), AVL (A), CHE (H), SUN (A), BHA (A)

LEE (H), LIV (A), TOT (H), AVL (A), COV (H)