Now we know that the Premier League will return on June 17, which clubs have the toughest and easiest remaining schedule to navigate?
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Our partners at Sky Sports in the UK have taken a deep dive into the remaining schedule for all 20 Premier League clubs and it is intriguing to see this list. I love this kind of analysis.
Based on the current Premier League table, our partners have calculated the average position of teams who all 20 clubs have to face in their remaining schedule.
[ MORE: Remaining PL schedule in full ]
First, here’s the list and below we will break down which Premier League clubs have the toughest or easiest remaining schedule and why.
Average opponent position
Man United: 12.3
Man City: 12.1
Wolves: 11.8
Southampton: 11.7
Newcastle: 11.4
Leicester: 11.3
West Ham: 11.3
Chelsea: 11
Norwich: 11
Everton: 10.7
Burnley: 10.6
Liverpool: 10.6
Arsenal: 10.5
Tottenham: 10.4
Watford: 10.1
Sheffield United: 9.4
Brighton: 8.6
Aston Villa: 8.4
Crystal Palace: 8.2
Bournemouth: 8.2
Analysis
This is very revealing when it comes to the ‘strength of the remaining schedule’ for all 20 Premier League clubs and explains why some fans are still hesitant to see their teams back in action, while others are licking their chops in anticipation of a late-season surge up the table.
In short: if you are Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Brighton you could struggle in this relegation battle. All three clubs have plenty of the big boys left to play, while fellow relegation rivals West Ham and Norwich have much easier schedules, on paper, to navigate.
As for the top four battle, Man United look to have a clear edge on Chelsea in the race for fourth place but Wolves are also high in this list so Nuno Espirito Santo’s side look well sit to finish off another remarkable season with a flourish. Sheffield United have a very tough remaining schedule so if they can stay in the top six it will be a fabulous achievement for Chris Wilder’s side, while we should keep an eye out for Southampton and Newcastle to potentially make a late surge up the table given the respective strength of their schedules.
However, this is just a study on the average position of teams they are facing. It doesn’t taken into account the players now available after recovering from injuries which impacted plenty of clubs in varying degrees, or the fact that different teams will adapt differently to playing in empty stadiums. If the Bundesliga is anything to go by, away teams have dominated so far and that could mean that the more away games Premier League teams have left in their schedule (six of Villa’s final 10 games are at home, while six of Sheffield United’s final 10 games are away) the more points they could pick up.
We all know funny things happen late in the season every season and with an intense scrap for the top four, Europa League spots and the battle against relegation, previous form can go out the window as desperation sets in. Still, stats like these are fascinating to sift through and give us an inclination as to wide to expect on a general level.
