The start of the Premier League season is not too far away, with each team discovering their 38-match schedule that will determine their journey over the course of the next nine months.
A difficult start can pile the pressure on a new manager, while a favourable run of fixtures can help build confidence and momentum.
Using the opening fixtures, here are five clubs that face the toughest start to the Premier League season.
Bournemouth
Bournemouth’s new manager, Marco Rose, could not have wished for a worse introduction to the Premier League season. They begin with a trip to last season’s runners-up, Manchester City, before hosting Everton and then travelling to St James’ Park to take on Newcastle United.
This is very similar to Andoni Iraola’s start to life at Bournemouth, which included a difficult opening run and a 9-1 battering at the hands of Liverpool. Bournemouth then face a Brentford side who will be eager to bounce back after just missing out on the European places last season, before hosting Liverpool in what will be a reunion between Iraola and the Bournemouth faithful at the Vitality Stadium.
Whilst at this moment in time it looks like a very difficult start for Bournemouth, the fact that they get five tough games out of the way early could prove influential, especially considering they will also be balancing European football for the first time in their history.
Fulham
Álvaro Arbeloa has been handed a tricky start to his tenure at Fulham. They begin with a London derby against Chelsea, one of the biggest fixtures of the season for Fulham.
This is followed by a trip to Sunderland before another London derby against Crystal Palace. Yes, two London derbies in the opening three games is not ideal and certainly not the start you would want.
They then travel to Anfield, where Fulham have often put up a solid fight against Liverpool in recent years and will be hoping to do the same once again, especially with Arbeloa being a former Liverpool player.
Following the trip to Anfield, they will host Manchester United and their Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko, who attracts lots of interest back home on apps like športne stavnice. The fact that they face Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United in their opening five matches, three sides expected to be challenging towards the top end of the table, makes it a very tricky start for Arbeloa’s men.
Coventry City
Coventry City haven’t featured in the Premier League since the 2000/2001 season, and they have immediately been thrown into the deep end.
Whilst they are still trying to agree a deal with Brighton to bring back goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, who impressed on loan last season, Frank Lampard’s side already know they face a daunting start to life back in the top flight.
They begin with a trip to the champions, Arsenal, on a Friday night. It couldn’t be a much tougher start for Lampard’s men.
They then host Hull City before another tricky fixture away to last season’s runners-up, Manchester City. Facing the champions and the runners-up within the opening three weeks of the season is some pretty tough going.
Next up is a Brighton side who also secured European qualification last season, before a trip to Nottingham Forest rounds off a difficult opening run of fixtures.
Arsenal
Defending champions Arsenal also have a deceptively tough start to the season. Whilst they open by hosting newcomers Coventry City, they have still been handed a difficult run of fixtures.
A newly promoted side can be unpredictable on the opening weekend. Yes, Arsenal have the quality to overcome them, but you just never know.
A trip to Aston Villa is also a very tough fixture for Arsenal, one they have struggled with in recent years. That is followed by an early London derby against Chelsea, which will provide an early test of Arsenal’s title credentials. They should be okay, but it is still not an easy fixture to navigate, especially with the unpredictability of Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea.
This is then followed by two difficult away trips to Sunderland and Brighton. The Stadium of Light will be bouncing once again, while a visit to Brighton has always proved to be a difficult trip for any side.