Ranking the Premier League clubs by the difficulty of their first five games

Premier League champions Liverpool will kick off the 2020-21 season with an opening day clash against Championship winners Leeds United – and we cannot wait for it all to get started again.

Now that the fixture list has been confirmed, we’ve ranked every team in the Premier League by the difficulty of their first five matches, based on every club’s 2019-20 finishing position.

Note: newly-promoted sides Leeds United, West Brom and Fulham have been deemed to have finished 21st, 22nd and 23rd last season.

20. Sheffield United

First five fixtures: Wolves (H), Aston Villa (A), Leeds (H), Arsenal (A), Fulham (H)

Average difficulty: 15.2

19. Wolves

First five fixtures: Sheffield United (A), Manchester City (H), West Ham (A), Fulham (H), Leeds (A)

Average difficulty: 14.2

18. Leicester City

First five fixtures: West Brom (A), Burnley (H), Manchester City (A), West Ham (H), Aston Villa (H)

Average difficulty: 13.4

17. Chelsea

First five fixtures: Brighton (A), Liverpool (H), West Brom (A), Crystal Palace (H), Southampton (H)

Average difficulty: 12.6

16= Liverpool

First five fixtures: Leeds (H), Chelsea (A), Arsenal (H), Aston Villa (A), Everton (A)

Average difficulty: 12.4

READ: Alternative highlights of 19-20: James Milner’s goal-line clearance ‘winner’

16= Fulham

Final five fixtures: Arsenal (H), Leeds (A), Aston Villa (H), Wolves (A), Sheffield United (A)

Average difficulty: 12.4

14. Aston Villa

First five fixtures: Sheffield United (H), Fulham (A), Liverpool (H), Leicester (A), Leeds (H)

Average difficulty: 11.8

13. Everton

First five fixtures: Tottenham (A), West Brom (H), Crystal Palace (A), Brighton (H), Liverpool (H)

Average difficulty: 11.6

12= Manchester City

First five fixtures: Wolves (A), Leicester (H), Leeds (A), Arsenal (H), West Ham (A)

Average difficulty: 11.4

12= Burnley

First five fixtures: Leicester (A), Southampton (H), Newcastle (A), West Brom (H), Tottenham (H)

Average difficulty: 11.4

READ: The 2019-20 PL ‘bang for your buck’ table: Pounds per point per player

10. Southampton

First five fixtures: Crystal Palace (A), Tottenham (H), Burnley (A), West Brom (H), Chelsea (A)

Average difficulty: 11.2

9. Tottenham

First five fixtures: Everton (H), Southampton (A), Newcastle (H), Manchester United (A), West Ham (H)

Average difficulty: 11.0

8. Manchester United

First five fixtures: Crystal Palace (H), Brighton (A), Tottenham (H), Newcastle (A), Chelsea (H)

Average difficulty: 10.4

7. Arsenal

First five fixtures: Fulham (A), West Ham (H), Liverpool (A), Sheffield United (H), Manchester City (A)

Average difficulty: 10.2

6. Newcastle United

First five fixtures: West Ham (A), Brighton (H), Tottenham (A), Burnley (H), Manchester United (H)

Average difficulty: 10.0

QUIZ: Can you name the top Premier League goalscorer for every nationality?

5. Brighton

First five fixtures: Chelsea (H), Newcastle (A), Manchester United (H), Everton (A), Crystal Palace (A)

Average difficulty: 9.2

4. Crystal Palace

First five fixtures: Southampton (H), Manchester United (A), Everton (H), Chelsea (A), Brighton (H)

Average difficulty: 9.0

3= Leeds United

First five fixtures: Liverpool (A), Fulham (H), Sheffield United (A), Manchester City (H), Wolves (H)

Average difficulty: 8.4

READ: Alternative highlights of 19-20: Luke Ayling sprinting, head down, to glory

3= West Brom 

First five fixtures: Leicester (H), Everton (A), Chelsea (H), Southampton (A), Burnley (H)

Average difficulty: 8.4

1. West Ham

First five fixtures: Newcastle (H), Arsenal (A), Wolves (H), Leicester (H), Tottenham (H)

Average difficulty: 7.8

More from Planet Football

A 2000s Premier League Dream Team Draft – The Broken Metatarsal

The 2019-20 PL ‘bang for your buck’ table: Pounds per point per player

How the 23 Brits abroad in Europe’s major leagues have fared in 2019-20

Can you name the top Premier League goalscorer for every nationality?