We
examine the Premier League title contenders' run-ins after the announcement
of the 2016/17 fixtures.
Excitement is already building ahead of the new season following the Premier
League fixture announcement, with champions Leicester City set to face
fierce competition for their crown in 2016/17.
Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho will hope to transform Manchester City and
Manchester United's fortunes, while Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and
Liverpool are also among Sky Bet's leading contenders for the title.
The final weeks of the season are likely to be crucial in the title race, so
which of the leading contenders has the easiest run-in? And who has the
toughest?
Here, we rank the contenders' run-ins from easiest to hardest using last
season's average positions of their final six opponents of the season.
Newly-promoted Burnley, Middlesbrough and Hull take 18th, 19th and 20th
respectively.
LIVERPOOL
Final six opponents: West Brom (a), Crystal Palace (h), Watford (a),
Southampton (h), West Ham (a), Middlesbrough (h)
Average position of final six opponents: 12.3
Jurgen Klopp will aim to compete for the Premier League title in his first
full season at Anfield, and his hopes have been boosted by the easiest
run-in on paper. Liverpool do not face any of last season's top five in
their final six games. West Brom, Crystal Palace and Watford all finished in
the bottom half, while newly-promoted Middlesbrough are among the favourites
for relegation.
CHELSEA
Final six opponents: Manchester United (a), Southampton (h), Everton (a),
Middlesbrough (h), West Brom (a), Sunderland (h)
Average position of final six opponents: 12.0
Incoming Chelsea manager Antonio Conte will not be too concerned by his
final six fixtures of 2016/17. A trip to face Jose Mourinho's Manchester
United at Old Trafford will be a stern test, but the rest of their games are
against teams who finished outside of the top five, with West Brom and
Sunderland their final two opponents of the campaign.
MANCHESTER CITY
Final six opponents: Southampton (a), West Brom (h), Middlesbrough (a),
Crystal Palace (h), Leicester City (h), Watford (a)
Average position of final six opponents: 11.3
Pep Guardiola avoids any clashes against the traditional big guns in
Manchester City's final six games of 2016/17. Fixtures against the likes of
West Brom, Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace and Watford look relatively kind on
paper, although there is the small matter of a home game against champions
Leicester, who were 3-1 winners at the Etihad Stadium last season.
LEICESTER
Final six opponents: Crystal Palace (a), Tottenham (h), West Brom (a),
Watford (h), Manchester City (a), Bournemouth (h)
Average position of final six opponents: 10.8
Leicester are 33/1 outsiders to retain the Premier League title with Sky Bet
despite last season's extraordinary heroics, but the Foxes will be out to
upset the odds again in 2016/17. If Claudio Ranieri's are still in the mix
in April, they will have to navigate big games against Tottenham and
Manchester City to stay in the hunt.
ARSENAL
Final six opponents: Middlesbrough (a), Sunderland (h), Tottenham (a),
Manchester United (h), Stoke (a), Everton (h)
Average position of final six opponents: 10.7
Can Arsenal go the distance in 2016/17? The Gunners' title challenges have
ended prematurely in recent seasons, and they will have to overcome a tricky
run-in to buck the trend in the new campaign. The Gunners face Tottenham at
White Hart Lane and Jose Mourinho's Manchester United at the Emirates
Stadium, and there are also potentially tricky clashes with Stoke and
Everton.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Final six opponents: Chelsea (h), Burnley (a), Swansea (h), Arsenal (a),
Tottenham (a), Crystal Palace (h)
Average position of final six opponents: 10.0
Jose Mourinho's Manchester United face a challenging run-in, with a
blockbuster home game against his old side Chelsea and trips to Arsenal and
Tottenham in their final six fixtures. Clashes with Burnley and Swansea are
rather kinder, however, and they finish the campaign at home to Alan
Pardew's Crystal Palace.
TOTTENHAM
Final six opponents: Bournemouth (h), Leicester (a), Arsenal (h), West Ham
(a), Manchester United (h), Hull (a)
Average position of final six opponents: 8.5
The fixtures have dealt Tottenham the hardest run-in on paper, with
consecutive clashes against Leicester, Arsenal, West Ham and Manchester
United before a trip to Hull on the final day. Mauricio Pochettino's side
collapsed at the end of last season, failing to win any of their last four
games. Their daunting run-in suggests they will need much more gas in the
tank in 2016/17.
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