Wednesday 15 June 2016 12:25, UK
With the new Premier League season fixtures announced, we examine the importance of the opening day results.
While no medals are handed out in August, it's considered important to get off to a fast start - but perhaps a team’s fortunes on the opening day of the season are rather more significant than it might seem.
For example, only one club has lost their first game of a Premier League season and gone on to win the title. That suggests as many as 10 clubs could effectively see their championship chances end on the opening weekend!
Manchester United were the only team to suffer an opening day defeat but emerge as champions - and they’ve done it three times (1992/93, 1995/96 and 2012/13). So, don’t rule out Jose Mourinho’s men if their 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. That is ominous for Leicester City's opponents.
So how does your team fare in the first round of matches? Here are some of the key stats for each of the 20 Premier League teams in 2016/17…
ARSENAL
- Have now lost two of their last three opening fixtures: 2-0 at home to West Ham last August and 2013's 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa.
- Prior to that Aston Villa loss, Arsenal had gone unbeaten in their previous 12 opening fixtures, winning eight.
BOURNEMOUTH
- Lost their first-ever Premier League game 1-0 at home to Aston Villa in August 2015.
- Started 2008/09 season with 1-1 League Two home draw v Gillingham which moved them onto -16 points and in 23rd place.
BURNLEY
- Lost their first-ever Premier League fixture 2-0 at Stoke in August 2009 and suffered a 3-1 defeat at home to Chelsea in their second PL opening weekend in August 2014.
- Aside from those two losses in the Premier League, Burnley are unbeaten in their previous five opening day fixtures in the Championship (W2 D3)
CHELSEA
- Have the best opening weekend record in PL history - P24 W15 D6 L3. They have the most points (51 from possible 72) and best points-per-game (2.13) of any PL club in opening day matches.
- A 2-2 draw at home to Swansea last season extended their unbeaten run on opening weekends. They have not lost their initial PL fixture for the last 17 seasons (W14 D3) since 2-1 defeat at Coventry (August 1998).
CRYSTAL PALACE
- A 3-1 win at Norwich at the start of last season was only Crystal Palace's second opening weekend win in the Premier League from their past seven.
- Lost 6-1 at home v Liverpool on opening day of 1994/95.
EVERTON
- Won one of last eight opening day fixtures (D3 L4) - only win was 1-0 home v Man Utd (August 2012).
- Lost 6-1 at home v Arsenal in opening fixture in 2009.
HULL
- Two of Hull's three previous PL opening fixtures have been defeats at Chelsea.
- Hull have won two and lost two of their four opening Premier League fixtures
LEICESTER
- Had won just one of their previous nine opening day PL fixtures (D5, L3) before last season's 4-2 thrashing of Sunderland.
- Leicester were 3-0 up inside 25 minutes against Sunderland in August 2015.
LIVERPOOL
- Won last three opening fixtures, 1-0 at home v Stoke (August 2013), 2-1 at home v Southampton (August 2014) and 1-0 at Stoke (August 2015).
- Won five of their last 13 games on the opening day (D5 L3).
MAN CITY
- Unbeaten in last seven opening weekend fixtures (W6 D1) - last defeat was 4-2 at Aston Villa (August 2008).
- Begun each of their two PL title winning seasons with 4-0 home wins on Monday Night Football (v Newcastle in 2013 and v Swansea in 2011). But a 3-0 MNF win at West Brom only led to a fourth-place finish in 2015/16.
MAN UTD
- After losing two out of three opening PL fixtures going into last season's starter with Tottenham, United secured a 1-0 victory to improve their impressive opening-weekend record
- Opening day record reads: P24, W15, D4, L5, only Chelsea have a better record.
MIDDLESBROUGH
- Won their most recent opening PL fixture 2-1 v Tottenham in August 2008
- Boro had failed to win their previous seven PL opening fixtures prior to that victory over Spurs (D3 L4)
SOUTHAMPTON
- Started previous three seasons with an away fixture and started away in five of their last six PL campaigns.
- PL record on opening day: P17 W2 D7 L8 - won 1-0 at West Brom in August 2013 and 1-0 at Coventry in August 1999. Both winners came in or after the 85th minute.
STOKE
- Won one of eight opening PL fixtures (D2, L5) - 2-0 v Burnley (H) in August 2009.
- Started last season with 1-0 home defeat v Liverpool.
SUNDERLAND
- Not won on the opening weekend in any of last six PL seasons (D4 L2).
- Last opening day success was a 1-0 PL win at Bolton (August 2009) - Darren Bent scored.
SWANSEA
- Twice fought back to earn a 2-2 draw at defending Premier League champions Chelsea on the opening day of 2015/16.
- Avenged a 2013 4-1 opening weekend home defeat to Manchester United with a 2-1 triumph at Old Trafford in 2014.
TOTTENHAM
- Lost 1-0 at Manchester United on opening day of 2015/16 - but didn't lose any of next 14 PL games.
- Won three of last 10 opening day fixtures (D1 L6).
WATFORD
- Unbeaten in nine opening league games (W5 D4) since 2-1 PL defeat at Everton in 2006/07.
- Started last season with three draws in a row, including opening day 2-2 at Everton.
WEST BROM
- Won one of their 10 opening PL games (D3 L6) - only win 3-0 home v Liverpool (August 2012).
- Newly-promoted West Brom's 6-0 defeat at Chelsea (August 2010) remains the heaviest opening weekend defeat for any club in PL history.
WEST HAM
- Ended a run of nine straight defeats against Arsenal with a 2-0 victory at the Emirates on the opening day of last season.
- West Ham had already played six Europa League fixtures by the time they beat Arsenal on August 9, 2015. Their season had started on July 2.
