Ranking every PL club by the difficulty of their end of season run-in
We’re approaching the final stages of the 2020-21 season and, while the title is heading to Manchester City, there is still plenty to play for.
At this stage of the year, clubs fighting at the top and bottom of the league are desperate to play clubs with nothing to play for. Those with easier run-ins will feel hopeful about the final two months, while others won’t share the same optimism.
We’ve ranked each Premier League club on the difficulty of their run-in, from easiest to hardest, using the current league positions as our basis.
20. Arsenal
Fixtures: Liverpool (H), Sheffield United (A), Fulham (H), Everton (H), Newcastle (A), West Brom (H), Chelsea (A), Crystal Palace (A), Brighton (H)
Average difficulty: 13.4
19. Wolves
Fixtures: West Ham (H), Fulham (A), Sheffield United (H), Burnley (H), West Brom (A), Brighton (H), Tottenham (A), Everton (A), Manchester United (H)
Average difficulty: 12.2
18. Liverpool
Fixtures: Arsenal (A), Aston Villa (H), Leeds (A), Newcastle (H), Manchester United (A), Southampton (H), West Brom (A), Burnley (A), Crystal Palace (H)
Average difficulty: 12.1
READ: The Premier League ‘big six’ head to head table in 2020-21: Arsenal rising…
17. West Ham
Fixtures: Wolves (A), Leicester (H), Newcastle (A), Chelsea (H), Burnley (A), Everton (H), Brighton (A), West Brom (A), Southampton (H)
Average difficulty: 12.1
16. Burnley
Fixtures: Southampton (A), Newcastle (H), Manchester United (A), Wolves (A), West Ham (H), Fulham (A), Leeds (H), Liverpool (H), Sheffield United (A)
Average difficulty: 11.8
15. Sheffield United
Fixtures: Leeds (A), Arsenal (H), Wolves (A), Brighton (H), Tottenham (A), Crystal Palace (H), Everton (A), Newcastle (A), Burnley (H)
Average difficulty: 11.8
14. Leeds
Fixtures: Sheffield United (H), Manchester City (A), Liverpool (H), Manchester United (H), Brighton (A), Tottenham (H), Burnley (A), Southampton (A), West Brom (H)
Average difficulty: 11.1
13. Manchester United
Fixtures: Brighton (H), Tottenham (A), Burnley (H), Leeds (A), Liverpool (H), Aston Villa (A), Leicester (H), Fulham (H), Wolves (A)
Average difficulty: 11.0
READ: 6 classic Premier League goals that wouldn’t have been given with VAR
12. Tottenham
Fixtures: Newcastle (A), Manchester United (H), Everton (A), Southampton (H), Manchester City (A), Sheffield United (H), Leeds (A), Wolves (H), Aston Villa (H), Leicester (A)
Average difficulty: 10.8
11. Southampton
Fixtures: Burnley (H), West Brom (A), Tottenham (A), Leicester (H), Liverpool (A), Fulham (H), Leeds (H), West Ham (A)
(The home match against Crystal Palace is to be re-arranged)
Average difficulty: 10.7
10. Fulham
Fixtures: Aston Villa (A), Wolves (H), Arsenal (A), Chelsea (A), Burnley (H), Southampton (A), Manchester United (A), Newcastle (H)
Average difficulty: 10.5
9. Chelsea
Fixtures: West Brom (H), Crystal Palace (A), Brighton (H), West Ham (A), Fulham (H), Manchester City (A), Arsenal (H), Leicester (H), Aston Villa (A)
Average difficulty: 10.3
READ: Ranking the PL clubs by percentage of goals scored by academy products
8. Everton
Fixtures: Crystal Palace (H), Brighton (A), Tottenham (H), Arsenal (A), Aston Villa (H), West Ham (A), Sheffield United (H), Wolves (H), Manchester City (A)
Average difficulty: 10.2
7. Manchester City
Fixtures: Leicester (A), Leeds (H), Aston Villa (A), Crystal Palace (A), Chelsea (H), Newcastle (A), Brighton (A), Everton (H)
Average difficulty: 10.1
6. Newcastle
Fixtures: Tottenham (H), Burnley (A), West Ham (H), Liverpool (A), Arsenal (H), Leicester (A), Manchester City (H), Sheffield United (H), Fulham (A)
Average difficulty: 9.3
5. Leicester
Fixtures: Manchester City (H), West Ham (A), West Brom (H), Crystal Palace (H), Southampton (A), Newcastle (H), Manchester United (A), Chelsea (A), Tottenham (H)
Average difficulty: 8.8
4. Aston Villa
Fixtures: Fulham (H), Liverpool (A), Manchester City (H), West Brom (H), Everton (A), Manchester United (H), Crystal Palace (A), Tottenham (A), Chelsea (H)
Average difficulty: 8.5
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3. Crystal Palace
Fixtures: Everton (A), Chelsea (H), Leicester (A), Manchester City (H), Sheffield United (A), Aston Villa (H), Arsenal (H), Liverpool (A)
(The away match with Southampton is to be rearranged)
Average difficulty: 8.4
2. West Brom
Fixtures: Chelsea (A), Southampton (H), Leicester (A), Aston Villa (A), Wolves (H), Arsenal (A), Liverpool (H), West Ham (H), Leeds (A)
Average difficulty: 8.4
1. Brighton
Fixtures: Manchester United (A), Everton (H), Chelsea (A), Sheffield United (A), Leeds (H), Wolves (A), West Ham (H), Manchester City (H), Arsenal (A)
Average difficulty: 8.1
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