The easiest fixture run-ins for likely Premier League title contenders - ranked

The fixtures for the 2024/25 Premier League season have been released, providing a brief distraction from the festivities of Euro 2024.

The likes of England, France, Germany and Spain are vying to become the best international team in Europe, with each side featuring some of the best players in the world. But before we know it, the Euros will be over and full focus will be back on domestic action and what's likely to be a season full of drama.

In preparation for the new campaign, which gets underway on August 17, the Premier League calendar has now been confirmed in full - with many eyes trained to focus on who has got the tastiest looking run-in.

Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool are expected to scrap it out for the title, but Manchester United and Chelsea - who have won 18 Premier League titles between them - will hope to have some sort of say in the matter providing they get their affairs in order.

What if it all comes down to the final month of the season? Who on paper has the easiest looking path to the title? That's what we're here to find out...

5. Liverpool

On August 17 at 12.30pm, there will be a Liverpool head coach in the dugout not named Jurgen Klopp for the first time in 492 games.

It will certainly take a bit of getting used to, such has been Klopp's impact on the Premier League and English football in general, but the Reds will quickly need to get up to speed if new boss Arne Slot is to oversee a title charge on Merseyside.

Liverpool fell away in the title race last season, essentially running out of puff when it really mattered, but will have high hopes of contending once more given the strength of their squad.

A difficult-looking run-in awaits Slot and Liverpool as they head to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea in the first week of May, and it certainly doesn't get any easier the week after as Arsenal - runners-up for the last two season - come to town.

A trip to Brighton, which is never an easy place to go, is Liverpool's last away date, before Crystal Palace and Oliver Glasner turn up on the final day - a real banana skin fixture if the Eagles can play anything like what they did in the final few months of 2023/24.

4. Chelsea

It could be another rollercoaster of a season at Chelsea, with Enzo Maresca now tasked with leading the club forward in the increasingly tumultuous BlueCo era.

A title challenge is probably way out of the Blues' reach, but competing in and around the top of the table is in the DNA of the football club - anything less is considered an unmitigated disaster for the five-time winners.

Should Chelsea find their way under Pep Guardiola-disciple Maresca, they will have to negotiate a fairly difficult run of fixtures in May. Liverpool, Newcastle United and Manchester United in consecutive games needs no real introduction - it will just be plain hard work for the west Londoners.

Nottingham Forest are no pushovers on their own patch either, and Chelsea will probably hope they have nothing left to play for when they rock up at the City Ground.

3. Man Utd

The first thing many people will think is Manchester United will not be title contenders in any way, shape or form. And that probably will be the case.

But consider for just one second that Ten Hag galvanises United to push the levels they achieved in his first season, as well as the fact that the Red Devils remain the biggest club in the world with the biggest audience, and you start to understand why this entry is needed.

The fixtures themselves? Not shocking, but not great either.

The 4-0 drubbing at Brentford in August 2022 is still imprinted on many people's minds, so going there isn't the best start to May, but there's comfort in West Ham United then visiting Old Trafford. A trip to Chelsea on the penultimate weekend could be spicy, particularly if there's things left to play for, and Aston Villa at home on the final day has fun written all over it.

2. Arsenal

Arsenal, like pretty much everybody else, must be sick of the sight of Manchester City lifting Premier League titles.

It hasn't been for the want of trying on Arsenal's part, with two really good title challenges over the past couple of seasons falling short in the most agonising ways imaginable.

Mikel Arteta and his talented squad of players will expect to be in the mix again, as will the club's rejuvenated fanbase, and they will look at their run-in as an opportunity rather than a chore.

Bournemouth in the penultimate home game of the season is extremely winnable, before a real acid-test trip to Liverpool on the weekend of May 10. Newcastle United will be stern opposition for the season's final home game at the Emirates, while a trip to Southampton on the final day could see the home side scrapping for their Premier League lives.

1. Man City

Eight-time Premier League winners Manchester City have got the easiest looking run-in of all, and quite frankly it's not even close.

The Cityzens' record towards the end of Premier League seasons is outrageously good. In 15 games over the past four seasons (prior to the title win being confirmed), Pep Guardiola's side have won 13, drawn one and lost one - yes, that Marcos Alonso winner for Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium is the only meaningful blot on the copybook.

So with that unbreakable robot-like mentality in mind, the Premier League fixture computer has spat out Wolves, Southampton, Bournemouth and Fulham for City's final four fixtures of 2024/25 - no, we're not kidding.

City's Premier League title rivals will probably feel aggrieved (not for the first time), and there's no denying that any side looking to best Erling Haaland and co when it's all said and done will need to have some serious momentum built up ahead of the final stretch.

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