With the English Premier League starting on 11 August, we ranked how tough the opening fixtures look for some of the sides who could be fighting to stay up.
Once the fixtures were released all eyes were on the first set of matches, and there were some extremely tough games drawn for those who could be near the rear come May 2024.
You can already bet on who you think will get relegated from the EPL in the 2023/24 season, at Bet9ja!
We also ranked the big seven’s opening set of fixtures, which you can read here.
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest travel to the Emirates Stadium on the opening day of the season to face Arsenal, who finished second last term.
Match day three and four are also some of the toughest fixtures that you could be handed, with Forest having to face both Manchester United and Chelsea away from home.
DIFFICULTY RATING 9/10
AFC Bournemouth
Bournemouth travel to Liverpool on the second matchday of the season which is followed by a tough home fixture against Tottenham Hotspur in their third game.
The fifth fixture that the Cherries will have to contest with is against Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea at home.
DIFFICULTY RATING 8/10
Burnley
New boys Burnley couldn’t ask for a harder start, hosting treble winners Manchester City at home in the league’s opener. They then take on fellow new boys Luton, but also play Tottenham in their first five fixtures, in what looks on paper to be a tough start for Vincent Kompany’s men.
DIFFICULTY RATING 6/10
Sheffield United
Newly promoted Sheffield United have a nicer opening set of fixtures compared to the teams above as they host Crystal Palace in the first game and then travel to Forest in the second.
However, they face reigning champions Manchester City in matchday three and then travel to Spurs in their fifth game, which could put them on the back foot in the battle to avoid relegation.
DIFFICULTY RATING 5/10
Luton Town
Luton Town make the difficult trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on their first game of the season but the only other side that finished in the top ten of the EPL last term that they will have to face in their opening five fixtures is Fulham, although one of them is against Chelsea. In relative terms, it’s as good an opening set of matches as Luton could have hoped for, in their first ever season in the EPL.
DIFFICULTY RATING 3/10
