Who has hardest start? Every Premier League club’s first five fixtures in the new 2025/26 season | OneFootball

The Premier League fixtures have been released for the new 2025/26 season and already fans will be debating who has been given a helping hand by the fixture computer and who has been given the short straw.

Yes, they all play each other twice, but when you want your club to get off to a flying start, a friendly looking fixture list certainly helps.

Arsenal can certainly lay claim to the most difficult start, with away trips to Manchester United and Liverpool in their first five fixtures, amid home ties against newly promoted Leeds, last season’s relevation Nottingham Forest and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

But perhaps Man United’s is even tougher, with top-four finishers Arsenal, City and Chelsea all in their first five games, alongside an away trip to Fulham and a home game against newcomers Burnley.

Fulham themselves have a challenging opening five, with testing trips to Brighton, Chelsea and Brentford alongside the visits of Man United and Leeds.

Meanwhile Chelsea look to have landed a soft opening, playing Crystal Palace, Fulham and Man United at home, with trips to West Ham and Brentford away.

Sunderland’s opening isn’t bad either, with home games against West Ham, Brentford and Villa, mixed in with away trips to Burnley and Palace.

And Aston Villa might hope for a fast start hosting Newcastle, Palace and Everton with away trips to Brentford and Sunderland.

Ruben Amorim could do with a good start to the new season (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Wire)

Sunderland are back in the Premier League (Getty Images)

Here is every Premier League club’s first five games of the 2025/26 season:

Bournemouth

Arsenal

Aston Villa

Brighton

Brentford

Burnley

Chelsea

Crystal Palace

Everton

Fulham

Leeds United

Liverpool

Manchester City

Manchester United

Newcastle United

Nottingham Forest

Sunderland

Tottenham Hotspur

West Ham United

Wolverhampton Wanderers