Which teams face the easiest and toughest fixtures in the upcoming five Premier League matchdays? The Opta Power Rankings can help us analyze this.
Prior to the kickoff of the 2025-26 Premier League season, Opta Analyst evaluated each team’s initial match schedule.
Although all teams will eventually face each other twice, momentum plays a crucial role in football, as it influences confidence and results.
By assessing the difficulty of each team’s early matches in the 2025-26 season, we aimed to identify teams that could make a strong impression and those that might struggle after the first five games.
Now that the first five matchdays have concluded, we review team performances to see if they met expectations and look ahead to the next five rounds of fixtures.
First Five Matchdays: Expectations vs Reality
Let’s start with Manchester United, who had the toughest fixture schedule according to our analysis.
The challenge was quantified using the Opta Power Rankings, which evaluate over 15,000 teams globally, ranking them based on their strength. United’s initial opponents had an average rating of 94.7, confirming their challenging start.
They accumulated seven points over five matches, facing formidable teams like Arsenal and Manchester City. While they may have exceeded some expectations, their performance remains a point of discussion.
Similarly, Bournemouth is worthy of mention for their second-toughest start, earning 10 points against opponents averaging a 94.0 rating. Their performance has been commendable, yielding their best start since the 2018-19 season.
Outlook for Upcoming Fixtures
As we shift our focus to upcoming matches, West Ham and their manager Graham Potter face a challenging schedule ahead of them. Their upcoming fixtures include tough matchups against Everton, Arsenal, and Leeds.
Aston Villa, who had the easiest start according to ratings, are finding themselves mired in difficulty as they move forward. Their upcoming matches involve facing challenging teams like Tottenham and Man City.
On the other hand, Manchester United might find their next fixtures more favorable as they aim to build positive momentum. Their matches against teams like Brentford and Sunderland could prove crucial.
In contrast, Wolves are in dire need of improvement, as their upcoming fixture difficulty is the lowest in the league. They will hope for favorable outcomes against newly promoted teams.
Meanwhile, Leeds will look to take advantage of a relatively easy schedule ahead. Teams like Arsenal, Man City, and Tottenham follow closely, but they could capitalize on upcoming matches against lower-ranked opponents.
Liverpool faces a challenging run too, but they have shown resilience thus far, having won their first five matches. Their upcoming fixtures will be pivotal as the season progresses.
