Leicester, Arsenal, Chelsea, Stoke, Everton and Burnley all have difficult early season fixtures, but which Premier League teams has the toughest start?
Chelsea face a tough start to defend their title in the Premier League
The Premier League fixture list came out today, with supporters up and down the country eager to see who they’ll start the campaign against, who they’ll play in the famous Boxing Day fixture and who they’ll end the season against. Of course, it is oft said that every team will play every other team twice, and ultimately the fixture list shouldn’t have too much say, but there are times when it does.
It is imperative, for example, that relegation threatened and title chasing teams get off to good starts. If a team likely to be in a relegation scrap gets handed a tough start and fails to win a game in the first two months of the season (just as Sunderland did last season) that can set the tone for the entire campaign.
Similarly, a title chasing side cannot really afford to slip to more than six points behind the league leaders at any stage during the season, so if they do so in the first couple of months, they are giving themselves a mountain to climb early on. As such, we have taken a look at three teams with really tricky opening two months.
Chelsea
It’s a big test next season for Chelsea boss Antonio Conte
The reigning Premier League champions, this is going to be a huge season for Chelsea. With Manchester United and Manchester City investing heavily once more and the Blues having Champions League football to contend with this season, Antonio Conte is unlikely to win the league at a canter as he did last season.
Conte’s men kick-off their title defence at home to Burnley, where they will hope to take maximum points, but after that things start to get a little tricky. The Blues head to Tottenham, before hosting Everton and making the journey up to 2015-16 champions Leicester City. September is then concluded by home matches against Arsenal and Manchester City as well as an away game at Stoke. If the Blues are near the top come the start of October, they’d be well placed to retain their crown.
Everton
Everton may be without Romelu Lukaku come August
After a decent if not spectacular debut campaign for Ronald Koeman, Everton will be expected to kick on this season, but that won’t be easy given the quality and aspirations of the teams who finished above them. Everton begin the season at home to Stoke, before facing a trip to Manchester City and a home game against Chelsea. Those three fixtures are followed by a home game against Tottenham Hotspur and an away game at Manchester United.
There is then some relief for the Toffees, who end September with home games against Bournemouth and Burnley, but those first five fixtures are probably the toughest of any side in the Premier League, and Ronald Koeman will have to claim some scalps if the Merseysiders are to mount a genuine challenge for Champions League football this season.
Stoke City
The start of the fixture list looks bleak for Stoke City
The three teams with the toughest starts all face each other at some point during the opening two months of the season. Stoke City finished solidly in mid-table yet again last season, and whilst Mark Hughes continues to do an impressive job, supporters could perhaps be forgiven for growing a little tired of the monotony of the Potters seasons.
They could end up wishing they were mid-table by the start of October though, beginning the first two months of the season with home games against Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Southampton, whilst they will face Everton, West Brom and Newcastle on their travels. Mark Hughes and his charges may well find more success on their travels then, but that’s a tough start by anyone’s standard.
Who do you think has the toughest start in the Premier League?
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