Best and Worst FPL Fixtures for the First Six Gameweeks
Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United open with the friendliest schedules, while Bournemouth face the hardest. Here is how to use fixture runs without ignoring minutes and value.
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Opening fixtures influence Gameweek 1 squads, captain choices and early transfer plans.
They should not, however, be used in isolation.
A player with excellent fixtures is still a poor selection if they are unlikely to start. A strong player with one difficult match can still outperform a weaker asset with several apparently easy opponents.
The Premier League season begins on Friday 21 August, with Arsenal hosting Coventry City.
Teams with favourable early schedules
Official Fixture Difficulty Ratings place Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United among the strongest schedules across the first six Gameweeks.
Arsenal, Ipswich Town, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest also rank favourably.
Manchester United
Manchester United begin with consecutive matches against promoted opposition, travelling to Hull before hosting Ipswich.
| GW | Opponent |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hull City (A) |
| 2 | Ipswich Town (H) |
| 3 | Everton (A) |
| 4 | Manchester City (H) |
| 5 | Fulham (A) |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur (H) |
This immediately increases interest in:
- Reliable attackers.
- Penalty takers.
- Creative midfielders.
- First-choice defenders.
- A secure goalkeeper.
The main question is price. An attractive fixture does not automatically make an expensive player good value.
Liverpool
Liverpool avoid the previous season's top ten across their first four fixtures.
| GW | Opponent |
|---|---|
| 1 | Newcastle United (A) |
| 2 | Nottingham Forest (H) |
| 3 | Ipswich Town (A) |
| 4 | Fulham (H) |
| 5 | Bournemouth (A) |
| 6 | Manchester City (H) |
Pre-season should determine which Liverpool attackers are most secure under the new manager.
Manchester City
City's opening period includes several strong captaincy fixtures, opening at home to Bournemouth before a run that ends with Liverpool in Gameweek 6.
Managers should closely monitor:
- Erling Haaland's post-World Cup fitness.
- Maresca's first-choice midfield.
- Defensive rotation.
- The role of attacking full-backs.
- Newly signed players.
Nottingham Forest
Forest have favourable home matches during the opening period — Leeds, Tottenham and Coventry all visit within the first five Gameweeks — increasing the appeal of Morgan Gibbs-White and any wing-backs who secure advanced roles.
Everton
Everton's schedule deserves attention, particularly for budget defenders or midfielders who are certain to start. They open at home to Crystal Palace and face Ipswich and Hull inside the first six.
Teams with difficult early schedules
Bournemouth have the most difficult average fixture rating across the first six Gameweeks.
Coventry, Leeds and Hull also face challenging starts.
Bournemouth
Bournemouth visit Manchester City in Gameweek 1 and also face Liverpool and Chelsea during their first six fixtures.
| GW | Opponent |
|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City (A) |
| 2 | Everton (H) |
| 3 | Newcastle United (A) |
| 4 | Brentford (H) |
| 5 | Liverpool (H) |
| 6 | Chelsea (A) |
Early investment should therefore be limited to genuinely underpriced, secure players.
Coventry City
Coventry face Arsenal and Manchester City within their first three matches, opening away at the Emirates on the season's first night.
Budget assets may still be useful as substitutes, but managers should be cautious about starting defenders during that run.
Hull City
Hull face Manchester United, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Newcastle during their first five matches.
Their players will need either:
- A very low price.
- Strong individual attacking involvement.
- Reliable defensive contributions.
- A guaranteed role.
How many Gameweeks should you analyse?
Use different horizons for different decisions.
Three Gameweeks
Useful for:
- Immediate transfers.
- Captaincy.
- Injury replacements.
- Short-term punts.
Six Gameweeks
Useful for:
- Gameweek 1 squads.
- Standard transfers.
- Defensive rotations.
- Fixture swings.
Ten Gameweeks
Useful for:
- Wildcard planning.
- Premium structure.
- Long-term defensive selections.
- Avoiding repeated transfers.
Map any of these horizons in the OneFPL transfer planner.
Do not chase fixture colour alone
Fixture Difficulty Ratings simplify a complicated decision.
They do not fully capture:
- Home and away tactical differences.
- Injuries.
- Managerial changes.
- Rotation.
- Team form.
- Individual matchups.
- European fatigue.
Eight clubs also start the season with a new manager, which makes last season's underlying numbers less reliable than usual. Cross-check any fixture-led pick against the player database before committing.
Open the OneFPL fixture difficulty tool** — and treat it as the beginning of the decision, not the final answer.
FAQ
Which teams have the best opening FPL fixtures?
Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United rank among the most favourable over the first six Gameweeks, with Arsenal, Ipswich, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest close behind.
Which team has the hardest start?
Bournemouth have one of the most difficult opening schedules, visiting Manchester City in Gameweek 1 and facing Liverpool and Chelsea inside the first six.
How many fixtures should managers analyse?
Six Gameweeks is a useful default for a Gameweek 1 squad, but use three for immediate transfers and ten when planning a Wildcard.
When does the 2026/27 season start?
The season begins on Friday 21 August, with Arsenal hosting Coventry City.
Should I pick a player purely because of good fixtures?
No. Expected minutes, role and price matter more. A fixture run only improves a player who was already going to start.