Arne Slot’s inviting Liverpool start presents late problem for Premier League title hopes

The 2024/25 Premier League fixtures have been released, with new Liverpool head coach Arne Slot now knowing what lies ahead of him in the upcoming months.

Eyes will turn to the key fixtures in the calendar and periods where the Reds could potentially gain an advantage over their rivals with a so-called easier run of fixtures. Arne Slot and Liverpool will have their eyes on again challenging Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table this season.

According to the Premier League’s FPL Fixture Difficulty Rating, Slot and Liverpool have a relatively easy start to the 2024/25 campaign compared to Arsenal. The Reds start their season with a trip to newly promoted Ipswich Town before hosting Brentford the following week.

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They then travel to Manchester United before playing two home games in a row against Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth. In fact, from their first six games of the season, five of Liverpool’s matches are rated as ‘easy’ with just the trip to Old Trafford rated as ‘medium.’

In comparison, Arsenal travel to take on Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester City in their first five games of the campaign. All three of those fixtures are rated as ‘hard’, with home games against Wolves and Brighton in between rated as ‘easy’.

That, however, changes when looking at the end of the season. In their final five games of the season, Liverpool face Tottenham at home, Chelsea away and Arsenal at home. The fixture against Tottenham is rated at medium, while the clashes against Chelsea and Arsenal are rated as hard.

In comparison, Arsenal have five ‘easy’ fixtures from their final seven games of the season. The clash against Liverpool at Anfield is the only ‘hard’ fixture, while the Gunners also face Newcastle at St James’ Park, which is rated as medium.

For Slot, it could emphasise the importance of being within touching distance of both Manchester City and Arsenal going into the final games of the season. It may also means that the club could potentially require an advantage over their rivals if they wish to challenge for the title at the end of the season.