The Premier League fixtures for the 2024/25 season were announced on Tuesday the 18th of June. It might be our age, but to us it only seems like yesterday we were watching the Champions League final and perhaps the day before yesterday that Man City were wrapping up yet another PL title. For the record, those events were 17 and 30 days ago, respectively, but with Euro 2024 in full swing in Germany, it certainly feels as though the football is very much non-stop.
The new Premier League campaign remains some way off with the first game taking place on the 16th of August. In truth, we should really be living in the moment and savouring England’s inevitable Euros triumph and every minute of the great football along the way. But we just can’t help ourselves looking ahead to the club football that will be just over a month away once England put Germany to the sword on the 14th of July in the Euros final.
Man United host Fulham on the 16th of August, with that Friday night clash the season’s curtain-raiser. Ipswich then host Liverpool in the second televised game of the 2024/25 campaign, the early Saturday kick-off. Thankfully, we don’t have to put up with Jürgen Klopp moaning about the early start anymore! West Ham versus Villa is the late clash on Saturday, with Brentford versus Palace on Sunday, followed by Leicester against Spurs on Monday night. Before that game at the King Power, however, we have the juiciest fixture of the opening round, as Chelsea host champions Man City at 4.30 pm on Sunday.
So, that’s the first weekend of fixtures, but what are the other key dates and clashes throughout the season? Let’s take a look…
The Games That Might Decide the Title
It’s hard to see anyone challenging Manchester City in our opinion, with Liverpool almost certain to struggle without Jurgen Klopp, and Chelsea seeming to have taken a backward step with their latest new manager. Spurs should be looking to improve on last season’s fifth-placed finish, but it is hard to see them pushing City too hard, whilst Aston Villa surely over-achieved by finishing fourth last term.
Man City are priced at odds of 13/10 to make it five straight league titles and in our opinion that looks like a real steal before any real transfer business has been done. However, the bookies certainly have it right in making the Gunners the most likely contenders, with Arsenal 2/1 for success, well clear of next-best, Liverpool, out at 8/1. So, could it be the following two fixtures that prove decisive in the title race?
- Saturday, 21st September: Man City v Arsenal
- Saturday, 1st February: Arsenal v Man City
Note that all fixtures, barring those of the opening weekend, are subject to change.
What About the Key Games at the Bottom?
As with the title race, it is early days to be naming the six-pointers at the bottom of the table, but there are certainly a few obvious contenders for the drop. After the three promoted sides all went straight back down in 2023/24, it is no surprise that Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton are the three favourites for relegation in 2024/25.
The Foxes were superb last term but have already lost the manager who guided them to the title, will be restricted in their sending, and could face a points deduction. Ipswich were a League One club in 2022/23, whilst the Saints only went up via the play-offs, so it is easy to see why they too are well-backed for demotion. Everton, Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Brentford and Fulham are the other main clubs likely to flirt with relegation.
How important might the following games, all taking place towards the end of the season, be?
- 25th May – Wolves v Brentford – Both are outsiders for the drop but, taking place on the last day of the season, this clash could be key.
- 18th May – Everton v Southampton – On the penultimate weekend of the season it would be a surprise if at least one of these clubs wasn’t up against it. They are also very likely to be keeping an eye on…
- 18th May – Leicester v Ipswich – Much could be decided on the weekend of the 18th, with two possible relegation six-pointers set to be played.
- 10th May – Nottingham Forest v Leicester – Could this East Midlands derby have extra spice due to both teams fighting the drop?
- 3rd May – Everton v Ipswich and Leicester v Southampton – We have another double-trouble May-day, with the four pre-season relegation favourites all set to play.
What About the Premier League’s Fiercest Rivalries?
There are derbies aplenty in the top flight, and some games that, whilst not technically local derby clashes, have taken on that status due to the huge rivalry between the clubs. Here are the dates to mark in your diary for the 2024/25 campaign (not including those already mentioned):
- 31st August – Man United v Liverpool
- 14th September – Spurs v Arsenal
- 19th October – Liverpool v Chelsea
- 9th November – Chelsea v Arsenal
- 30th November – Liverpool v Man City
- 7th December – Everton v Liverpool
- 14th December – Man City v Man United
- 4th January – Liverpool v Man United
- 14th January – Arsenal v Spurs
- 22nd February – Man City v Liverpool
- 2nd April – Liverpool v Everton
- 5th April – Man United v Man City
Easy Start for the Reds?
Klopp may have disliked early kick-offs but his replacement Arne Slot can have no argument with the start his club have been handed. Analysis shows that their first five games are the easiest of any club in the top flight. Liverpool face Ipswich, Brentford, Man United, Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth first up, which should, in theory at least, allow Slot to ease into his new position and build confidence.
There is no such good fortune for the highly praised Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna. The Tractor Boys face the third-hardest start, behind only Brentford and West Ham. The Suffolk side face Liverpool in their opening PL clash, before a trip to Man City! Next come Fulham, Brighton and Southampton, meaning Ipswich may struggle for momentum early on in their return to the top flight.
Of course, all 20 teams must face each other home and away at some stage, so in that sense, things are obviously fair. But timing certainly matters, with factors such as how much travel a team has to do during the most hectic times of the season, such as over Christmas, and how the top clubs’ games fall in relation to their European tests, things to consider. Right, now let’s get back to England winning the Euros…