Premier League fixtures: What is the significance of the opening day?

After the announcement of the Premier League fixtures, we examine the significance of the opening day.

Supporters up and down the land have been wondering what’s in store for their side in 2015/16.

There will be those obsessed with the minutiae and others who point out that their team will play everyone twice. So what’s the difference?

Well, perhaps a team’s fortunes on the opening day are rather more significant than it might seem.

For example, given that only one club has lost their first game of a Premier League season and gone on to win the title, as many as 10 clubs could effectively see their chances end on the opening weekend.

That team is Manchester United and they’ve done it three times – in 1992/93, 1995/96 and 2012/13 – so don’t rule out Louis van Gaal’s men if the first match doesn’t go their way.

In fact, the opening game is more of an indicator of past success than future glory. The defending Premier League champions have never lost their first game of the season.

Chelsea are the team to avoid then, regardless of what happens in the forthcoming campaign – especially given that Jose Mourinho has a 100 per cent record on the opening weekend.

So how does your team measure up? Here are some of the key stats for each of the 20 Premier League teams in 2015/16…

ARSENAL

• Won 9 and lost 1 of their last 14 opening day fixtures (D4).
• Started last season with 2-1 home win v Crystal Palace with Aaron Ramsey scoring a 90th min winner.

ASTON VILLA

• Won each of last 2 opening PL games - 3-1 at Arsenal, Aug 2013 and 1-0 at Stoke, Aug 2014.
• Won 5, drawn 5 and lost 5 of last 15 opening fixtures.

BOURNEMOUTH

• Won last 2 opening League games and are unbeaten in 3. Won 4-0 at Huddersfield last season.
• Started 2008-09 season with 1-1 League 2 home draw v Gillingham which moved them onto -16 points and in 23rd place.

CHELSEA

• Have the best opening weekend record in PL history - P23 W15 D5 L3. They have the most points (50 from possible 69) and best points-per-game (2.17) of any PL club in opening day matches.
• Unbeaten on opening weekend of last 16 PL seasons (W14 D2) since 2-1 defeat at Coventry, Aug 1998.

CRYSTAL PALACE

• Won only 1 of their previous 6 opening day PL fixtures - 2-1 at Everton in Aug 1997 under Steve Coppell.
• Lost 6-1 at home v Liverpool on opening day of 94-95.

EVERTON 

• Won 1 of last 7 opening day fixtures (D2 L4) - only win was 1-0 home v Man Utd, Aug 2012.
• Lost 6-1 at home v Arsenal in opening fixture in 2009.

LEICESTER

• Won only 1 of their 9 opening day PL fixtures (D5, L3) - only 1-0 home v Aston Villa, Aug 1997.
• Started last season with a 2-2 draw at Everton.

LIVERPOOL

• Won last 2 opening fixtures, 1-0 at home v Stoke, Aug 2013 and 2-1 at home v Southampton, Aug 2014.
• Won 4 of their last 12 games on the opening day (D5 L3).

MAN CITY

• Unbeaten in last 6 opening weekend fixtures (W5 D1) - last defeat was 4-2 at Aston Villa, Aug 2008.
• Begun each of their 2 PL title winning seasons with 4-0 home wins on Monday Night Football (v Newcastle in 2013 and v Swansea in 2011).

MAN UTD

• Lost 2 of last 3 opening PL fixtures - 1-0 at Everton in 2012 and 2-1 at home v Swansea last season.
• Opening day record reads: PLD23, W14, D4, L5, only Chelsea have a better record.

NEWCASTLE

• Met Man City in the first game of the last 2 seasons - lost both.
• Lost on opening weekend in 3 of last 8 PL seasons (W3 D2) - all defeats against Manchester clubs (also lost 3-0 v Man Utd, Aug 2010).

NORWICH

• Not won in 12 opening League fixtures since 4-0 Div One home win v Grimsby in Aug 2002.
• Lost 7-1 at home v Colchester in League 1 in Aug 2009.

SOUTHAMPTON

• Started last 3 seasons with an away fixture and started away in last 5 PL campaigns.
• PL Record on opening day: P16 W2 D6 L8 - won 1-0 at West Brom in Aug 2013 and 1-0 at Coventry in Aug 1999. Both winners came in or after the 85th minute.

STOKE

• Won 1 of 7 opening PL fixtures (D2, L4) - 2-0 v Burnley (H) in Aug 2009.
• Started last season with 1-0 home defeat v Aston Villa.

SUNDERLAND

• Not won on the opening weekend in any of last 5 PL seasons (D4 L1).
• Last opening day success was a 1-0 PL win at Bolton, Aug 2009 - Darren Bent scored.

SWANSEA

• Won 2-1 at Man Utd last season. Had lost 4-1 at home to Man Utd in Aug 2013.
• Won 2 of last 3 opening League games having lost 6 in succession prior to this.

TOTTENHAM

• Won last 2 opening day games by 1-0, away at Crystal Palace in Aug 2013 and at West Ham last season.
• Won 3 of last 9 opening day fixtures (D1 L5).

WATFORD

• Unbeaten in 8 opening League games (W5 D3) since 2-1 PL defeat at Everton in 2006-07, their last PL season.
• Started last season with 4 wins from 5 games including 3-0 home v Bolton on the opening day.

WEST BROM

• Won 1 of their 9 opening PL games (D3 L5) - only win 3-0 home v Liverpool, Aug .2012
• Newly promoted West Brom's 6-0 defeat at Chelsea, Aug 2010 remains the heaviest opening weekend defeat for any club in PL history.

WEST HAM

• Started last season with 1-0 home defeat v Tottenham when Eric Dier scored an injury time winner, Mark Noble missed a penalty and James Collins was sent-off (2 yellows). 

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