Best Teams to Target to Start the Season

TL;DR

Spurs: Soft start, three ideal home games, attacking upside.
Liverpool: Can score in any game. A strong start to build momentum.
Man City: Tougher matchups, but they’re still the most dominant side in the league.
Chelsea: Mixed bag of fixtures, but a solid opportunity to get ahead of the curve.
Aston Villa: Balanced schedule with upside in both defence and attack.
(Bonus: Sunderland): Promising opening stretch for a newly promoted side.

Tottenham Hotspur

Opening Fixtures:
GW1: Burnley (H)
GW2: Manchester City (A)
GW3: AFC Bournemouth (H)
GW4: West Ham United (A)
GW5: Brighton & Hove Albion (A)
GW6: Wolverhampton Wanderers (H)

Spurs get three great home games by GW6 — all against teams they should beat. They’ve also got two favourable away days (West Ham and Bournemouth), even if City in GW2 is a write-off for most. Their system should see a lot of final-third activity, particularly in home matches. If they start well, they could offer early double-digit hauls at both ends of the pitch.

Liverpool

Opening Fixtures:
GW1: AFC Bournemouth (H)
GW2: Newcastle United (A)
GW3: Arsenal (H)
GW4: Burnley (A)
GW5: Everton (H)
GW6: Crystal Palace (A)

Liverpool open at Anfield against a soft opponent, and even their tougher fixtures are ones where they historically still rack up goals. They thrive in transition-heavy matches — and Newcastle, Arsenal, and Palace will all give them space. If you’re backing attack over control, Liverpool have the highest ceiling outside of City.

Manchester City

Opening Fixtures:
GW1: Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)
GW2: Tottenham Hotspur (H)
GW3: Brighton & Hove Albion (A)
GW4: Manchester United (H)
GW5: Arsenal (A)
GW6: Burnley (H)

Yes, this run is a gauntlet — but it’s City. They can dominate any fixture and are one of the few sides you trust to win even when the opposition is elite. The Cityzens’ control of possession and ability to suffocate matches makes them immune to most fixture swings. Even if the attacking output varies, you’re almost guaranteed clean sheets or single-goal wins in ugly games.

Chelsea

Opening Fixtures:
GW1: Crystal Palace (H)
GW2: West Ham United (A)
GW3: Fulham (H)
GW4: Brentford (A)
GW5: Manchester United (A)
GW6: Brighton & Hove Albion (H)

A friendly London-heavy start. Three of the first six are at Stamford Bridge, and none of the away games are against title contenders. Chelsea’s system is built around possession and territorial dominance — traits that tend to deliver against mid-table opponents. The real value here is in potential consistency: if they build rhythm, they can put together a strong 4-out-of-6 run.

Aston Villa

Opening Fixtures:
GW1: Newcastle United (H)
GW2: Brentford (A)
GW3: Crystal Palace (H)
GW4: Everton (A)
GW5: Sunderland (A)
GW6: Fulham (H)

A quietly well-balanced run. Villa start with a tricky fixture but quickly pivot into a stretch where they’ll expect results. Their home games are all winnable, and their away games are against sides that struggle for control. This is the kind of run where you don’t expect fireworks every week — but a clean sheet here, a goal there, and suddenly you’ve banked points without needing a wildcard.

Honourable Mention: Sunderland

Opening Fixtures:
GW1: West Ham United (H)
GW2: Burnley (A)
GW3: Brentford (H)
GW4: Crystal Palace (A)
GW5: Aston Villa (H)
GW6: Nottingham Forest (A)

For a promoted side, this is a kind start. Three home games against teams who often struggle to break down deep blocks, and three away days that don’t look terrifying on paper. They’ll be motivated, disciplined, and a potential source of value — especially for those looking to free up budget for big hitters elsewhere.