As the new football season approaches, several Premier League clubs are bracing for a demanding schedule after their forays into European competitions. Liverpool, Newcastle United and Manchester City prepare for extremely tough matchups. These fixtures have the potential to determine their fate in the league. With big matchups and tricky travel itineraries on the horizon, these teams will have to tread delicately with their grueling schedules ahead.
Liverpool is now the club enduring the toughest re-entry from midweek continental duty. The Reds will open their domestic campaign with a fiery Merseyside derby at Anfield. Indeed, this exciting encounter will take place just a few days after their initial Champions League appearance. This upcoming home match against Everton is a hotly contested local derby. It’ll be a strong test of Liverpool’s squad depth and physical stamina this early in the season.
Worthy of note too, besides the derby, after matchday five Liverpool will have a home match against Arsenal as well. This matchup only increases the stakes as they face off against one of their biggest rivals. A combination of European commitments and a particularly busy slate of domestic fixtures will test Liverpool’s depth, so how well they’re able to adjust will be of utmost importance.
Newcastle’s Grueling Journey Ahead
Newcastle United has an equally daunting task in front of them following their European adventures. After matchday one in the Champions League, the Magpies will have to face an incredible 587-mile round trip to Bournemouth. The second half of this long trip is really where the journey begins. Newcastle’s next live SKY trip is a daunting four-match sequence against Chelsea, Brentford, Manchester City and West Ham.
In addition to challenging Newcastle’s tactical resilience, these away fixtures will put the squad’s physical stamina to the test. The back-to-back away games against tough opponents Manchester City and Chelsea will be key. Either of these games could seriously impact the direction of their entire season. Newcastle’s ability to secure points during this grueling stretch may define their aspirations for both league success and European competition.
Manchester City Among the Challengers
Manchester City has a pretty tough run-in in front of them. After their Champions League games, they face three difficult away matches at Arsenal, Brentford and Aston Villa. Municipal needs to be firing on all cylinders to perform well in the fascinating competitions. The race to the playoffs is contentious and every league point matters.
City will face Liverpool on the other side of matchday four. This matchup will set up another high-pressure trial, making a huge dent in either club’s title hopes. The stakes couldn’t be higher! They hope to juggle the unique pressures of European competition with their domestic league title aspirations.
Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur should be counted out as well. Much like their cup counterparts, both clubs have difficult league fixtures taking their focus which may affect their league results. Crystal Palace faces tough matchups following their European commitments, which could hinder their chances of climbing up the table. Spurs now have a challenging run of fixtures to come. These are hazards that if not addressed, would severely affect their overall prospects of clinching a top-four finish.
Chelsea’s situation is noteworthy, as they will face two difficult away games: one against Manchester United following Champions League matchday one and another at Crystal Palace after matchday seven. Each of these fixtures will take Chelsea needing to be at their best to not slip down the league standings, possibly drastically.
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