Aston Villa’s opening 2025/26 Premier League fixtures ranked by difficulty
Aston Villa’s Premier League fixtures for the 2025/26 season were finally released on Tuesday.
Villa are set for their seventh consecutive season in the English top-flight since they returned from the Championship.
Expectations will be high at Villa Park, with the new fixtures allowing fans to know which dates to look forward to, around another year of European football.
Now, preparations for Unai Emery and his backroom staff can begin as they prepare for the Birmingham outfit’s opening games.
Aston Villa handed ‘easiest’ Premier League opening fixtures
Aston Villa will be looking to return to the Champions League this season after a controversial end to the 2024/25 campaign.
Luckily, the Premier League has offered them a chance to build some momentum with a solid start to the season.
Emery will face Newcastle United in the first gameweek at Villa Park, with fixtures against Brentford, Crystal Palace, Everton and Sunderland following.
| Aston Villa first five Premier League fixtures | Dates |
| Newcastle United (home) | 16 August |
| Brentford (away) | 23 August |
| Crystal Palace (home) | 30 August |
| Everton (away) | 13 September |
| Sunderland (home) | 20 September |
According to Opta (18 June), Villa have the “easiest” opening five games of the campaign, ranked on their opponents’ difficulty.
The supercomputer ranked the average opposition team at a 90.9 rating.
In comparison, Manchester United have the hardest start at a 94.6 rating.
Emery cannot underestimate opening Premier League games
Despite the seemingly easier fixtures compared to their Premier League rivals, Aston Villa cannot underestimate their opponents.
In their first five matches, Emery will face a Champions League outfit, the FA Cup holders and travel to Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
These matches will pose a serious challenge for the Spaniard, and points will be expected to be dropped at some point.
However, if Emery can overcome these challenges, he will be putting Villa in an excellent position to qualify for the Champions League as he overcomes his rivals.
Aston Villa usually have a good start to their Premier League campaign under Emery, and hopefully, the Spaniard will be able to repeat this feat and build momentum for the rest of the campaign.
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