With the release of the 2024/25 Premier League schedule, an examination of each team's final nine matches reveals varying degrees of difficulty. The Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR) serve as a tool for assessing the perceived challenge posed by opponents, with a scale from one (easiest) to five (hardest) indicated by a color-coding system. Below are the FDR scores for the last nine matches of each team.
FDR scores for the last nine matches of each team
Everton faces the hardest run-in
In contrast to Everton’s easier start to the season, which had an average FDR score of 2.5, the team now confronts the toughest run-in with an average of 3.6. The Toffees' concluding matches include a clash with local rivals Liverpool, as well as home games against last season's second-place Arsenal and champions Manchester City. Additionally, Everton will travel to Chelsea and Newcastle United, both of whom finished in the top seven last year.
Crystal Palace and Fulham have the next most challenging schedules, each recording an average FDR of 3.2. Crystal Palace faces four of last season's top five in their final away matches, visiting Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool. Fulham, on the other hand, will host Liverpool and Manchester City while also facing Arsenal away.
Favorable conclusions for Manchester City and Arsenal
The previous two seasons' champions and runners-up, Manchester City and Arsenal, enjoy the most manageable run-ins, with average FDR scores of 2.4 and 2.6, respectively. They are followed closely by Aston Villa, Leicester City, and Wolverhampton Wanderers, each with a score of 2.7. Arsenal's final nine matches include only one opponent from last season's top six, although it is a challenging away match at Anfield, where they have not won since September 2012. Conversely, six of Manchester City's last nine fixtures are against teams that either finished in the bottom half of the table or were newly promoted last season.
Southampton has the toughest run-in among promoted teams
Of the promoted teams, Southampton has the most difficult concluding matches, averaging an FDR of 3.1, compared to 2.9 for Ipswich Town and 2.7 for Leicester City. The Saints will face Manchester City and Arsenal in their last three matches. In contrast, Leicester's schedule is softer, featuring home matches against fellow promoted teams Ipswich and Southampton in the final four weeks, along with away games against Brighton & Hove Albion, Wolves, Nottingham Forest, and AFC Bournemouth, all of which ended last season in the bottom half of the table.
Best and worst run-ins by FDR average
Best run-in | Worst run-in
Club | FDR | Club | FDR
Manchester City | 2.4 | Everton | 3.6
Arsenal | 2.6 | Crystal Palace | 3.2
West Ham | 2.6 | Fulham | 3.2
Aston Villa | 2.7 | Southampton | 3.1
Leicester | 2.7 | AFC Bournemouth | 3.0
Wolves | 2.7 | Ipswich Town | 2.9
Brentford | 2.8 | Manchester United | 2.9
Brighton | 2.8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 2.8
Chelsea | 2.8 | Nottingham Forest | 2.8
Liverpool | 2.8 | Newcastle United | 2.8
*FDR average score
Impact of European matches on club schedules
The seven clubs participating in European competitions during the 2024/25 season may find their schedules affected by quarter-final and semi-final matches coinciding with the last nine Premier League fixtures. For Tottenham and Manchester United, the UEFA Europa League final could occur between their last two league matches. Tottenham's final stretch includes a game against Aston Villa and a home fixture against Brighton, while Manchester United hosts Aston Villa on the final day and visits Chelsea just days before the final in Bilbao, Spain. The European match dates for the 2024/25 season can be viewed alongside the Premier League schedule.