Archive August 11, 2025

The Premier League starts on Friday, with every team dreaming of getting a few early wins under their belt.

Champions Liverpool get the campaign under way at home to Bournemouth, with everyone else involved in the following three days.

How important is a quick start to the season in the first few games? And do any teams have a particularly difficult or relatively easy start?

Last season the top eight in the Premier League after five games ended up finishing as the top eight (albeit not all in the same positions).

If that repeated itself this season it would mean that with 33 games to go we could rule 12 teams out of qualifying for Europe through the league.

Some 12 teams finished within two places of where they were after five games.

Only 36% of teams who are top at the end of September win the title – including Liverpool last season.

So how much does a good start indicate who will win the league?

The record amount of points after 10 games is 28 (nine wins and a draw). All those four teams – Manchester City (2011-12 and 2017-18), Chelsea (2005-06) and Liverpool (2019-20) went on to win the title.

Newcastle were top after 10 games in three consecutive seasons and did not win the title in any of them.

There are plenty of examples of teams picking up 26 points in their opening 10 games and not going on to win the title.

However, seven teams have not even been on 20 points after 10 games and still won the title.

Manchester City came back to win the title by a clear 12 points in 2020-21. They were sixth, sitting on 18 points and three points off top, after 10 games.

For promoted trio Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland, the concern will be much lower down the table in their bid to avoid relegation.

Especially after two seasons in a row where the promoted trio went straight back down.

For promoted teams, getting 11 points in the first 10 games seems to be the magic mark.

And yet the 86% survival rate from 11 points drops to an astonishing 25% for teams who secure 10 points from their opening 10 matches.

Which team can be hopeful of a flying start?

Statisticians Opta have rated the difficulty of each side’s first five games.

Manchester United and Arsenal, who meet on the opening day, are judged to have the two most difficult starts.

United also play Manchester City and Chelsea in their next four games, while Arsenal take on Liverpool and City.

Probably not ideal for United boss Ruben Amorim, who many think needs a good start to the campaign after last season’s 15th-placed finish.

Aston Villa are deemed to have the easiest start, followed by Crystal Palace and West Ham.

Results do not mean too much, but NFL pre-season games do offer the first set of clues about what will happen in the new season.

The league’s major stars will not play too often in the opening build-up games, but some top rookies have already made good first impressions as competition for starting places hots up.

Travis Hunter signalled his intention to play both offence and defence as he made his debut working as a receiver and cornerback for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The second overall pick of this year’s NFL Draft admitted he “was a little nervous at first” as he started one of the most high-profile debut seasons in the league.

Hunter had two catches for nine yards in his 10 plays as a receiver before switching and playing eight snaps on defence.

Shedeur Sanders made an eye-catching debut for the Cleveland Browns that raised suggestions he has a chance to be the team’s starting quarterback this season.

It would be quite the turnaround after his high-profile draft slide down to 144th overall – but beyond the hype he still faces an uphill battle, with veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett ahead of him along with another rookie in Dillon Gabriel.

Cleveland did not field their starters against the Carolina Panthers and Sanders has not had any practice time with the first team – only getting a start on Friday because of injuries to Pickett and Gabriel.

Patrick Mahomes threw just one pass for one yard in his first outing since being on the losing side in the Super Bowl – but it was for a touchdown in his brief 48-second seasonal debut.

So, of more interest was the impressive debut of rookie left tackle Josh Simmons.

He is the man the Kansas City Chiefs hope can solve the problem they had all last season – protecting their star quarterback.

The Chiefs used four left tackles last year but their issue keeping Mahomes upright ultimately cost them a Super Bowl three-peat as he was sacked six times and manhandled by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jaxson Dart may just be Russell Wilson’s back-up but his impressive debut has excited New York Giants fans singing his praises.

He threw for 154 yards and a touchdown and ran for 28 yards in a poised and balanced outing – against some Buffalo Bills starters – that probably just topped Sanders for the best performance by a rookie quarterback.

Number one overall pick Cam Ward played just two series for the Tennessee Titans but his second was an 11-play touchdown drive where he showed promising chemistry with top receiver Calvin Ridley.

Second-round pick Tyler Shough replaced Spencer Rattler in the second half of the New Orleans Saints’ 27-13 defeat by the Los Angeles Chargers and had a 54-yard touchdown pass and a ‘pick six’ in an up-and-down display.

Although not technically a rookie, JJ McCarthy will play his first season with the Minnesota Vikings after a knee injury cost him the entire campaign last year.

A messy first Dallas Cowboys game for new head coach Brian Schottenheimer culminated with even Pro Bowl wide receiver CeeDee Lamb getting a flag – despite not even being on the field.

Lamb was on the sidelines for the defeat against the Los Angeles Rams but strayed almost onto the field and was hit by an official racing down the touchline.

That led to Lamb not only taking a big hit but also Dallas getting one of 11 flags in the game, which cost them 83 yards and angered the new man in charge.

“I hope the guy’s OK. But we have to be better than that,” Schottenheimer said. “CeeDee knows better. We know better.”