Opta ranks fixture difficulty for 2025-26 Premier League season, champions Liverpool get 5th-hardest start

Opta's Power Rankings predict the most challenging and straightforward starts to the Premier League season. Manchester United face the toughest opening fixtures, while Aston Villa and Crystal Palace have the easiest. 

The Premier League season is just around the corner, and Opta has crunched the numbers to reveal which teams have the most daunting and easiest starts to the campaign. Using their Power Rankings database, Opta grades the difficulty of each club out of 100, taking into account whether a team is playing home or away.

Manchester United have been handed the toughest start to the season, with an average opponent rating of 94.6. Their opening five fixtures are against Arsenal at home, Fulham away, Burnley at home, Manchester City away, and Chelsea at home.

Arsenal and Liverpool also among toughest start

Arsenal have the second-toughest start, with an average opponent rating of 94. They face Manchester United away, Leeds at home, Liverpool away, Nottingham Forest at home, and Manchester City away.

Liverpool, the reigning champions, have the fifth-hardest start, with an average opponent rating of 93.3. They begin their campaign against Bournemouth at home, followed by Newcastle away, Arsenal at home, Burnley away, and Everton at home.

A strong start to the season is crucial, as history shows that champions rarely stumble out of the blocks. In fact, Manchester City in 2021-22 are the only one of the last 12 Premier League champions to lose on the opening day, doing so 1-0 to Tottenham.

Aston Villa and Crystal Palace have been handed the easiest starts to the season. Aston Villa face Newcastle at home, Brentford away, Crystal Palace at home, Everton away, and Sunderland at home. Crystal Palace start their campaign against Chelsea away, followed by Nottingham Forest at home, Aston Villa away, Sunderland at home, and West Ham away.

Sunderland, who won the Championship play-offs, have the lowest rating in the Premier League, with 82.3. As a result, the teams that face them in the opening five games have been handed a relatively easier start. All of the 'luckiest' five teams in Opta's rankings face Sunderland in one of their first five games.

Chelsea and Man City start moderately

Chelsea's start to the season looks relatively kind, with an average opponent rating of 88.6. However, they do face a tricky opener against Crystal Palace, followed by West Ham at home, Fulham away, Brentford at home, and Manchester United away.

Manchester City have been handed the 10th-hardest start to the season, with an average opponent rating of 91.4. Their opening five fixtures are against Wolves away, Tottenham at home, Brighton away, Manchester United at home, and Arsenal away.