The new Premier League season is almost here, and some clubs have been handed a significantly more favourable opening run than others.

According to early fixture-difficulty assessments, Manchester United have the easiest opening five matches, while Arsenal also feature among the clubs with a relatively favourable start.

1. Manchester United

United’s opening schedule gives Michael Carrick’s side an excellent opportunity to build momentum. Their first five opponents include Hull City, Ipswich Town and Everton, although the Manchester derby against City provides the major test.

2. Leeds United

Leeds also have an encouraging opening sequence and could look to take advantage of several winnable fixtures as they settle back into Premier League football.

3. Liverpool

The champions have a mixed start but benefit from many favourable fixtures around their early tests. Their opening trip to Newcastle will be one of the weekend’s standout games.

4. Arsenal

The defending champions begin at home against newly promoted Coventry City before travelling to Aston Villa. Arsenal’s early schedule remains attractive enough for Mikel Arteta’s side to target a strong start.

5. Brentford

Brentford also rank highly when the opening fixtures are assessed for difficulty, allowing them to collect points early in the campaign.

The fixture list could be particularly important for Manchester United and Arsenal, with both clubs expected to challenge near the top of the table. United’s favourable opening could allow Carrick’s team to build confidence quickly, while Arsenal will be hoping to begin their title defence strongly after beating Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield.

The opening weeks, however, can be deceptive. Fixture difficulty is based largely on previous-season performance and projections, while promoted teams can prove far more competitive than their rankings suggest.

Still, with the 2026/27 campaign kicking off on Friday, which of these five clubs can make the most of their favourable start?