A week has now passed since the fixture list for 2021-22 Premier League season was released and we have taken an in-depth look at the fixture list of each club and their targets.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham all face difficult starts for various reasons whilst the three promoted teams in; Norwich, Watford and Brentford will all be hoping to enjoy survival, but with every fixture list of each individual club looking different every team face different challenges.
We therefore have analysed how the opening and closing six games of each team look and often predicted what fans can expect from their clubs at start and end of this season.
Arsenal
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Brentford | Away | Southampton | Away |
| Chelsea | Home | Manchester United | Home |
| Manchester City | Away | West Ham | Away |
| Norwich | Home | Leeds | Home |
| Burnley | Away | Newcastle | Away |
| Tottenham | Home | Everton | Home |
Having somehow scraped an eighth placed finish last season after a series of awful performances, Arsenal certainly have a tough start because Brentford will enter the season looking to impress on their Premier League debut with Ivan Toney capable of causing the Gunners serious issues.
Games against Chelsea and Man City immediately follow and unless there is drastic improvement, I wouldn’t be surprised if Arsenal enter September desperately chasing points which could impact them if their fans get on their backs.
I therefore wouldn’t be surprised if Arsenal can only scrape six points because only Norwich and Burnley look beatable at present, whilst their run-in looks relatively ok on paper but Newcastle looks the only easy fixture given their record over the Magpies as the others could certainly cause proper issues on their day.
If I am being honest, Arsenal really needed an easy start and this is the complete opposite, which will put more onus on Mikel Arteta and his players to hit the ground running otherwise I can see another season of woe heading their way.
Aston Villa
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Watford | Away | Liverpool | Home |
| Newcastle | Home | Leicester | Away |
| Brentford | Home | Norwich | Home |
| Chelsea | Away | Burnley | Away |
| Everton | Home | Crystal Palace | Home |
| Manchester United | Away | Manchester City | Away |
Having finished 11th last season, Aston Villa should be happy with their start because six points from their first two matches should be achievable, ahead of their following four games which look tricky but a return of at least eight points from their opening six games overall should be achievable.
The same can be said of their run-in because they do have the squad to cause issues for Liverpool and Leicester if either team hit ruts around that stage, whilst I definitely can’t see them winning away to Man City on the final day although they should be safe by then anyway.
In fact, I would say that early December looks to be Villa’s toughest section of the season with Man City, Leicester and Liverpool in consecutive matchweek, yet if they can weather that storm then I can see them pushing for a top ten finish if can keep key players fit.
Brentford
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Arsenal | Home | Watford | Away |
| Crystal Palace | Away | Tottenham | Home |
| Aston Villa | Away | Manchester United | Away |
| Brighton | Home | Southampton | Home |
| Wolves | Away | Everton | Away |
| Liverpool | Home | Leeds | Home |
On paper, you would typically call receiving Arsenal on the opening weekend a brutal start but I think Brentford will have enough to match the Gunners, whilst their following four games are all winnable if can settle quickly into the top flight.
Should they indeed do that then I would say that a return of four points from their opening six matches would be a good result given that they’re set to face plenty of attacking teams in those early weeks.
Brentford however probably need to put themselves in a good position come April because they are set to face Chelsea, West Ham, Tottenham and Man Utd that month, which could well define their season on top of a potential relegation six pointer against Watford too.
Do that then I can see them somehow staying up because their last three matches all look favourable as Southampton and Leeds shouldn’t have much to fight for come May, unless we get another crazy season where Tottenham and Arsenal are an inconsistent mess.
Brighton
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Burnley | Away | Tottenham | Away |
| Watford | Home | Southampton | Home |
| Everton | Home | Wolves | Away |
| Brentford | Away | Manchester United | Home |
| Leicester | Home | Leeds | Away |
| Crystal Palace | Away | West Ham | Home |
Graham Potter and his Brighton players certainly should feel like they have won the lottery with just two of last season’s top ten featuring amongst their opening six matches, which is the ideal start to allow them to build on from a promising improvement in attacking play at end of last season.
I therefore would fancy Brighton to take at least seven points from their opening six matches if can continue their improved form with key players set to return from injury, with another bonus being that they on paper look to have solid runs of games each month with their most difficult clashes nicely spread out.
In fact I can see Potter’s Seagulls entering the run-in in a relatively safe position because at least seven points should be enough to seal survival again.
Burnley
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Brighton | Home | West Ham | Away |
| Liverpool | Away | Wolves | Home |
| Leeds | Home | Watford | Away |
| Everton | Away | Aston Villa | Home |
| Arsenal | Home | Tottenham | Away |
| Leicester | Away | Newcastle | Home |
Although you might argue that this is a decent start for Burnley’s season, I think that they might be in for a tougher start than many might think because except for Brighton at home on the opening weekend, Sean Dyche’s Clarets are in for a very difficult run against quality opposition.
I therefore wouldn’t be surprised if we see Burnley sat in the relegation zone come late September but their run-in on the other hand looks very winnable, especially if they come across teams out of form or safe with nothing to play for.
The unexpected additional international break in late January has also helped Burnley otherwise they could of had a difficult run of Arsenal, Man Utd and Liverpool within a fortnight, as their other tricky clashes against top opposition are nicely spread out.
Much of how well Burnley do however will boil down to their squad plans and individual performances, which will certainly play a key part in shaping their season more so than their fixtures.
Chelsea
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Crystal Palace | Home | Leeds | Away |
| Arsenal | Away | West Ham | Home |
| Liverpool | Away | Everton | Away |
| Aston Villa | Home | Wolves | Home |
| Tottenham | Away | Manchester United | Away |
| Manchester City | Home | Watford | Home |
Chelsea are expected to be title contenders so will be glad with a home start against Palace which should be an easy win if the Eagles are still adapting to their new manager, especially given that their following five matches all look incredibly difficult and unlikely to yield more than five points at minimum.
Thomas Tuchel however should be relieved at Chelsea’s relatively easy run in although away trips to Leeds, Everton and Man Utd all look like potential nightmares if last season is anything to go by with two goalless draws and a defeat.
December meanwhile feels like a month that could well be season-defining for the Blues with games against West Ham, Leeds, Everton, Wolves, Villa and Brighton, who are all capable of causing surprises when at their best and could cause serious damage to Chelsea’s title hopes.
Add in two Champions League matches then I seriously can see December being the month that decides the direction of Chelsea’s end of season targets, although they should still have enough for a top four finish unless there is a massive long-term injury pile-up in worst case scenario.
Crystal Palace
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Chelsea | Away | Everton | Away |
| Brentford | Home | Leeds | Home |
| West Ham | Away | Southampton | Away |
| Tottenham | Home | Watford | Home |
| Liverpool | Away | Aston Villa | Away |
| Brighton | Home | Manchester United | Home |
Currently without a manager as pre-season draws near, Palace really needed a kind start and four London derbies followed by Liverpool away at Anfield is an absolute nightmare, although whoever takes over will be glad of the small travelling distance for five of those opening six games.
Palace’s run-in however is much nicer and with their squad quality, I can see them being largely safe by mid-April if they get their managerial appointment spot on as they should have enough to get at least seven points from their last six games.
Overall, Palace should be looking at another mid-table finish if things go to plan although they really should look to chase a top ten finish given their potential if can avoid an injury crisis and lengthy ruts in form.
Everton
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Southampton | Home | Crystal Palace | Home |
| Leeds | Away | Liverpool | Away |
| Brighton | Away | Chelsea | Home |
| Burnley | Home | Leicester | Away |
| Aston Villa | Away | Brentford | Home |
| Norwich | Home | Arsenal | Away |
Regardless of who is appointed as Carlo Ancelotti’s replacement, Everton should be looking to try and maximise their strong start because all six of their opening games are winnable, which should make a return of ten points or more the main aim in the opening stages of this season.
Everton’s home form though has to improve because that aspect ultimately cost them a top seven finish last season, with a run of Tottenham, Liverpool, Arsenal and Leicester between early November – mid December looking like a potentially crucial period of home games for the Toffees.
Should they indeed improve and are on the cusp of a fight for European qualification come mid-April, Everton should be confident going into their run-in after beating Liverpool and Arsenal away and defeating Chelsea at home last season.
Crystal Palace though will be a key test given how competitive their meetings have often been but if the Toffees can win that game, I reckon that seven points should be the minimum aim from their run-in which looks tough on name value alone yet are all winnable.
Leeds United
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Manchester United | Away | Chelsea | Home |
| Everton | Home | Crystal Palace | Away |
| Burnley | Away | Manchester City | Home |
| Liverpool | Home | Arsenal | Away |
| Newcastle | Away | Brighton | Home |
| West Ham | Home | Brentford | Away |
On paper, a trip to Manchester United is a nightmare start for Leeds but they have shown that they’re not mugs so I can see them really taking the game to Utd and their opening fixtures are all winnable if they can quickly build consistency which was largely absent for most of last season,
Consistency therefore the word that will be key to how Leeds’ season unfolds, with December a particular crucial stage as Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites are scheduled to face Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool within 15 days.
That period is partially reflected in their run-in although Crystal Palace away serves as a nice breather between Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal, yet their record in London is woeful with just one win in six visits last season.
On that note, another mid-table finish looks the best bet unless Leeds can raise their game and find maintained form across several matches.
Leicester
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Wolves | Home | Newcastle | Away |
| West Ham | Away | Aston Villa | Home |
| Norwich | Away | Tottenham | Away |
| Manchester City | Home | Everton | Home |
| Brighton | Away | Watford | Away |
| Burnley | Home | Southampton | Home |
After final day heartbreak again left Leicester staring at a second season of Thursday-Sunday football for much of this campaign, Brendan Rogers’ Foxes need a strong start which they certainly do have with an ideal aim of at least seven points at minimum in their opening six games.
Their run-in also is just as decent but they will need to cut down on wasteful results against lower teams like Newcastle and Villa, as well as get more points against top opposition if they’re to stand any chance at a top four finish.
December though is going to be season defining for Leicester because they face a ruthless run of Southampton, Villa, Newcastle, Tottenham, Everton, Manchester City and Liverpool, where they really need to be looking at a minimum of ten points for a decent return in their chase for a top four finish.
Add in the complexities of Thursday-Sunday football which they would of learned from last season and increased investment, then I can’t see why Leicester shouldn’t again be up there in the mix for Champions League qualification.
Liverpool
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Norwich | Away | Aston Villa | Away |
| Burnley | Home | Everton | Home |
| Chelsea | Home | Newcastle | Away |
| Leeds | Away | Tottenham | Home |
| Crystal Palace | Home | Southampton | Away |
| Brentford | Away | Wolves | Home |
After a disastrous title defence and luckily finding form at end of last season to secure third, Liverpool certainly need to get their campaign off to a flier if they’re to mount a title challenge which is certainly boosted by their opening run.
Their home clash against Chelsea though is going to be absolutely crucial physiologically in the early stages of the title scrap, with Thomas Tuchel’s Blues also expected to fight for the title which should make that game an early decisive match at the top of the table.
Jurgen Klopp however should be worried about his team’s run-in because they failed to win any of their three away clashes last season against Villa, Newcastle or Southampton, whilst they also lost at home to Everton yet beat Tottenham and Wolves so will be hoping for improvement.
It is also worth pointing out that Liverpool play both Manchester clubs in two of three games prior to their last six matches, so if that run-in of last six matches look scary then add in those two games and I seriously worry now for Liverpool’s title if not top four chances and the season hasn’t even started yet.
Manchester City
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Tottenham | Away | Wolves | Away |
| Norwich | Home | Watford | Home |
| Arsenal | Home | Leeds | Away |
| Leicester | Away | Newcastle | Home |
| Southampton | Home | West Ham | Away |
| Chelsea | Away | Aston Villa | Home |
On paper, you would expect a relatively settled start for the reigning champions yet I seriously can see City finding themselves in trouble early on, as Tottenham, Arsenal, Leicester and Chelsea won’t be easy opposition in four of their six opening games on top of Liverpool who they play after Chelsea.
Finding a minimum of seven points from those first six games will therefore be imperative because we cannot discount surprise home results against Norwich and Southampton, otherwise City are going to need another brilliant mid-season if they’re to defend their crown.
Pep Guardiola however can take delight in City’s run-in which all look largely winnable although away trips to Leeds and West Ham could be potential sticky points if anything like last season, whilst the Hammers’ game will have the emotions of Mark Noble’s home farewell to West Ham supporters.
City however did make a slow start last season before recovering to win the title but if they fail to win at least three of their five clashes against fellow top eight teams of last season in their opening seven matches, I can’t see the Citizens defending their crown.
Manchester United
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Leeds | Home | Norwich | Home |
| Southampton | Away | Arsenal | Away |
| Wolves | Away | Brentford | Home |
| Newcastle | Home | Brighton | Away |
| West Ham | Away | Chelsea | Home |
| Aston Villa | Home | Crystal Palace | Away |
Having let the title fight slip out of their grasp last season despite sitting top in mid January, Man Utd need a bright unbeaten start if they’re to build early momentum as their title rivals all collide early on and I can see that happening if can beat Leeds on the opening weekend and quickly kick on.
October however will be Utd’s biggest test with trips to Leicester and Tottenham sandwiched between home games against Everton and Liverpool, which makes early momentum even more important because if they can take seven points in October at minimum then they’re right in the title hunt.
Their run-in also looks very favourable although Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to end his Arsenal away hoodoo as Utd manager if they’re to realistically have the best possible shot at the title, especially if their last home game of the season against Chelsea is a title decider.
Too many draws though cost them with seven of their draws last season finishing goalless, meaning that finding more goals and points will just be as crucial as their kind fixture list if Utd are to genuinely mount a closer title challenge.
Newcastle United
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| West Ham | Home | Leicester | Home |
| Aston Villa | Away | Norwich | Away |
| Southampton | Home | Liverpool | Home |
| Manchester United | Away | Manchester City | Away |
| Leeds | Home | Arsenal | Home |
| Watford | Away | Burnley | Away |
Having flirted with the relegation battle in each of the last three seasons, Newcastle certainly need to start pushing on if they’re to start fulfilling their potential and they do have a decent opening selection of six games from which at least seven points should be achievable at a minimum.
In fact, their current fixture schedule looks solid except for mid-late December with away trips to Leicester, Liverpool and Everton mixed in with home games against Man City and Utd, which I seriously can’t see the Magpies getting anything other than one or two points out of barring shock wins.
I therefore wouldn’t be surprised if we see Newcastle comfortably in midtable this season because they certainly cannot afford to be fighting relegation at end of season, because a run of Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal in three of their last four matches is unlikely to yield many points unless can find strong spirit.
Norwich City
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Liverpool | Home | Manchester United | Away |
| Manchester City | Away | Newcastle | Home |
| Leicester | Home | Aston Villa | Away |
| Arsenal | Away | West Ham | Home |
| Watford | Home | Wolves | Away |
| Everton | Away | Tottenham | Home |
Daniel Farke will certainly be worried about Norwich’s opening run of games because I genuinely can’t see them getting any points from their first four matches, which would mean early pressure come mid-September as they host fellow promoted opposition – Watford before visiting Everton.
Norwich thereafter do have a solid spread of games throughout the season but finding extra goals as well as building and maintaining momentum is set to be key to their survival chances, especially as they host Tottenham on the final day which could be crucial for both teams.
That start though has all the hallmarks of forming an early make-or-break period for Norwich’s season, so Farke better get his players to hit the ground running quickly otherwise I can see a tough season for the East Anglian club.
Southampton
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Everton | Away | Arsenal | Home |
| Manchester United | Home | Brighton | Away |
| Newcastle | Away | Crystal Palace | Home |
| West Ham | Home | Brentford | Away |
| Manchester City | Away | Liverpool | Home |
| Wolves | Home | Leicester | Away |
Having unravelled in the second half of last season with just 14 points from their last 20 league matches, Ralph Hasenhuttl really need his Saints to make the best of their opening six matches because five of their six early games are winnable if they apply themselves and tighten up defensively.
Although I genuinely can’t see Southampton pushing for European qualification via the league, February does look their trickiest month with trips to Tottenham and Man Utd followed by a home clash against Everton in ten days which I can’t see them getting more than a point from at maximum.
Hasenhuttl’s Saints however should have enough to secure safety because I just can’t see them fighting relegation come the run in, so I expect a pressure-free concluding run of six winnable games particularly against Arsenal and Liverpool who are easily capable of slipping up away at St Mary’s Stadium.
Avoiding another freefall second half of season though is a priority because Hasenhuttl is lucky to still be in his position, as any other club would of most likely sacked him by now which underlines how solid a job he is doing as a whole across the club.
Tottenham Hotspur
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Manchester City | Home | Brighton | Home |
| Wolves | Away | Brentford | Away |
| Watford | Home | Leicester | Home |
| Crystal Palace | Away | Liverpool | Away |
| Chelsea | Home | Burnley | Home |
| Arsenal | Away | Norwich | Away |
Currently without a manager, Tottenham look set for a difficult opening run because beating Man City at home will be a difficult ask, especially if Harry Kane departs Spurs this summer and a trip to Wolves will be just as tough if Raul Jimenez is back and quickly on form under Bruno Lage.
Wins against Watford and Palace could therefore be imperative because Spurs finish their opening six games with two difficult London derbies against Chelsea and Arsenal, which will likely prove key to shaping Spurs’ season early on.
March will also prove pivotal to Spurs’ targets because they face a tough trip to Man Utd in-between home games against Everton and West Ham, with all three clubs capable of inflicting defeats which would make a top four finish quite difficult with Leicester and Liverpool to come during the solid if tricky run-in.
Spurs’ transfer plans however will just be as crucial as their fixture list to their ambitions this season because if they lose Kane and cannot replace him, I am struggling to see them pushing for a top four finish and possibly even Europa qualification too.
Watford
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Aston Villa | Home | Brentford | Home |
| Brighton | Away | Manchester City | Away |
| Tottenham | Away | Burnley | Home |
| Wolves | Home | Crystal Palace | Away |
| Norwich | Away | Leicester | Home |
| Newcastle | Home | Chelsea | Away |
Xisco Munoz should feel pleased with Watford’s start to life back in the Premier League because if they can quickly build form with two winnable games against Villa and Brighton, they should realistically be targeting at least five points from their following four matches.
November though looks set to be incredibly difficult for the Hornets as they face Arsenal at the start of the month followed by Man Utd, Leicester, Chelsea, and Man City in a fortnight spell from late November, which could define their season if they lose all five games.
Fast-forward to the run-in and the home clash against Brentford instantly stands out as a potential relegation six-pointer and likewise for Burnley after a trip to the Etihad, because I do struggle to see them winning any of their last three matches.
On that note, I feel like Watford must maximise points haul from games against teams around them if they are to stay up, as well as try and snatch some points off the top teams if come across them out of form.
West Ham United
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Newcastle | Away | Burnley | Home |
| Leicester | Home | Chelsea | Away |
| Crystal Palace | Home | Arsenal | Home |
| Southampton | Away | Norwich | Away |
| Manchester United | Home | Manchester City | Home |
| Leeds | Away | Brighton | Away |
Having missed out on the top four after a late dip last season, West Ham will have the challenges of Thursday-Sunday football to deal with, which makes a strong start all the more important given their favourable looking opening run.
In fact, I can see the Hammers taking at least seven points from their first six games although their first home game of the campaign against Leicester will be an early key game in the race for Europe, especially with both teams having secured Europa League football for this season.
West Ham also look to have a decent league schedule overall throughout this season with only late April looking their toughest period with two London derbies against Chelsea and Arsenal, which makes me hopeful for what the Hammers could achieve if they can manage their increased fixture load well.
Wolves
| Opening Six Matches | Closing Six Matches | ||
| Opposition | Venue | Opposition | Venue |
| Leicester | Away | Manchester City | Home |
| Tottenham | Home | Burnley | Away |
| Manchester United | Home | Brighton | Home |
| Watford | Away | Chelsea | Away |
| Brentford | Home | Norwich | Home |
| Southampton | Away | Liverpool | Away |
After a lacklustre final season under Nuno Espirito Santo, it is now all change at Molineux with Bruno Lage now in charge but Wolves certainly are in for a tough opening run in their bid to regain a top ten finish.
Their first three matches in particular look very difficult to gather points from, yet if Tottenham lose Harry Kane and Wolves can continue their habit of competitive clashes against Man Utd, they could certainly pick up at least one win as their latter three games thereafter should yield at least four points at minimum.
December though like for many other teams could prove key for Wolves’ campaign with Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea in three of their first four games that month, which will certainly be their toughest run throughout the season, although February looks just as tough but not as bad in quality comparisons.
Wolves’ run-in meanwhile looks decent as I can’t see them battling relegation nor challenging for European qualification this season, so it should be a solid if unspectacular finish to a first season under Lage.
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