FACTMAN: Just when you thought it was over – it’s back !!! The Premier League fixtures have been announced for the 2023/24 season and we have our exclusive FACTMAN stats for the opening weekend of the new season starting on 11 August.
Burnley – Manchester City
● Burnley have won just one of their last 23 league matches against Manchester City (D6 L16) and have lost the last eight in a row by an aggregate score of 26-1.
● In all competitions, Man City have won 11 games in a row against Burnley, scoring 40 goals and conceding just one. They beat them 6-0 in the FA Cup last season, inflicting the Clarets’ heaviest defeat since losing 6-0 to City themselves in March 1999 in a league game.
● Burnley have won their opening game in just two of their eight previous Premier League seasons (D1 L5), winning 3-2 at reigning champions Chelsea in 2017-18 and 3-0 at home to Southampton in 2019-20.
● Manchester City have won their opening Premier League game in 12 of the last 14 seasons, with both exceptions coming against Tottenham Hotspur (0-0 in 2010-11, 0-1 in 2021-22).
Arsenal – Nottingham Forest
● Arsenal are unbeaten in their last nine home league games against Nottingham Forest (W5 D4) since a 3-1 defeat in March 1989. One of those nine unbeaten games was a 2-1 win in their first game of the season in 1998-99 – the last campaign in which Forest were relegated from the Premier League.
● Nottingham Forest beat Arsenal 1-0 in their most recent league meeting in May – they haven’t won consecutive games against the Gunners since September 1978 under Brian Clough.
● Arsenal have begun their Premier League campaign with a game in London in 10 of the last 11 seasons, with the exception being a 1-0 win at Newcastle in 2019-20. This is their first opening game on home soil since losing 2-0 to Man City in 2018-19.
● Nottingham Forest have lost their opening league game in each of the last four seasons – they’ve never done in five consecutive campaigns before.
Bournemouth – West Ham United
● Bournemouth have lost their last three Premier League games against West Ham without scoring a single goal – they had only lost two of their first nine against the Hammers (W4 D3), scoring in all but one of those games.
● West Ham have never lost against Bournemouth in the Premier League with David Moyes in charge (W3 D2), with their four defeats against them coming under Slaven Bilic (2) and Manuel Pellegrini (2).
● Bournemouth have started their league campaign with a home game in each of the last five seasons (W3 D2), beating Aston Villa 2-0 on their return to the Premier League last term.
● West Ham have lost their opening game of the season more often than any other side in Premier League history (15), while David Moyes has lost such games more often than any other manager (10).
Brighton and Hove Albion – Luton Town
● Brighton and Luton haven’t met in a league game since 2007-08, with the Seagulls winning both games in League One that season. In the top-flight, their only two meetings were in 1982-83, both wins for the Hatters (5-0 home, 4-2 away).
● This is the first time Brighton and Luton will meet in their first league games of a season since the 1928-29 campaign in the Third Division South, won 1-0 by the Hatters.
● Brighton have won their opening league game in each of the last two seasons, last doing so in three consecutive campaigns between 1974-75 and 1976-77.
● This will be Luton’s first top-flight game since a 2-1 loss to Notts County in May 1992. They’re the 51st team to play in the Premier League, with two of the last three clubs making their debut in the competition winning their opening match (Huddersfield in 2017, Brentford in 2021).
Everton – Fulham
● Everton won their first 14 home Premier League matches against Fulham between 2002 and 2018 but have lost each of their last two against the Cottagers at Goodison Park, going down 3-1 in April most recently.
● Fulham have faced Everton in their opening game of a top-flight season twice previously and lost both games, losing 3-0 in 1963-64 and 1-0 in 1966-67.
● Everton have only lost their opening Premier League game in one of the last 11 seasons (W4 D6), though that defeat did come at home to Chelsea last season.
● When they’re not a newly promoted club, Fulham are unbeaten in their last five MD1 games in the Premier League (W3 D2), keeping a clean sheet each time. This is their first such game since a 1-0 win at Sunderland in 2013-14.
Sheffield United – Crystal Palace
● Sheffield United have lost just one of their last five home league games against Crystal Palace (W3 D1), though it was their last such meeting in May 2021 (0-2).
● All six Premier League meetings between Sheffield United and Crystal Palace have seen the winning team keep a clean sheet – the Eagles won both meetings in both 1992-93 and 2020-21, while the Blades won both in 2019-20.
● Sheffield United have won their opening league game in just one of the last nine seasons (D1 L7), beating Brentford 1-0 in 2017-18. They’ve lost their last three in a row, only once having a longer such run (4 between 1928-29 and 1931-32).
● Crystal Palace have lost their opening league game in each of the last two seasons (0-3 v Chelsea, 0-2 v Arsenal). They’ve never done so in three consecutive top-flight campaigns before.
Newcastle United – Aston Villa
● Newcastle are unbeaten in their last 14 Premier League home games against Aston Villa (W8 D6) since a 3-0 loss in April 2005.
● Aston Villa beat Newcastle 3-0 at Villa Park in April, but haven’t won consecutive Premier League meetings with the Magpies since doing the double over them in 2004-05.
● Newcastle have won their opening league game in two of the last three seasons (L1), having done so in just one of their previous 12 campaigns (D4 L7). Following their 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest last season, The Magpies are looking to win their opening league game in consecutive campaigns for the first time since 2006-07/2007-08.
● Aston Villa have lost their opening league game in each of the last two seasons, losing against promoted sides on both occasions (Watford in 2021-22, Bournemouth in 2022-23). They’ve not lost their first league game in three consecutive campaigns since doing so between 1967-68 and 1969-70 in the second tier.
Brentford – Tottenham Hotspur
● Brentford have won just two of their 10 league meetings with Tottenham in their history (D4 L4), though one of those was a 3-1 victory in their most recent match in May.
● The last time Tottenham began a Premier League campaign with a London derby was in 2014-15 – they won 1-0 at West Ham in Mauricio Pochettino’s first game in charge.
● Brentford have only won their opening league game in two of the last 11 seasons (D5 L4), though they’ve not lost on MD1 in either of their two Premier League campaigns (2-0 v Arsenal in 2021-22, 2-2 v Leicester last season).
● Tottenham have lost their opening league game in just one of the last seven seasons (W5 D1), going down 1-0 at home to Everton in 2020-21.
Chelsea – Liverpool
● Each of the last six meetings between Chelsea and Liverpool in all competitions have been drawn – it’s Liverpool’s longest run of consecutive draws against an opponent, while only against West Brom (1922-1927) and Norwich (1974-1978, including three Anglo Scottish Cup meetings) have the Blues drawn seven in a row.
● Each of the last four meetings between Chelsea and Liverpool in all competitions has finished 0-0 – no fixture in competitive English football history has finished goalless five times in a row before.
● This is just the second time Chelsea and Liverpool are facing in their opening game of a Premier League season, with the Blues winning 2-1 at Anfield in 2003-04 previously.
● No team has won more of their opening games to a Premier League campaign than Chelsea (20), with the Blues picking up more points than any other side on MD1 (66).
● Liverpool haven’t lost their opening Premier League game in any of the last 10 seasons (W8 D2), since a 3-0 loss at West Bromwich Albion in 2012-13 under Brendan Rodgers.
Manchester United – Wolverhampton Wanderers
● Manchester United have lost just one of their last 12 home league games against Wolves (W8 D3), going down 1-0 in January 2022.
● Having been unbeaten in their first four Premier League meetings with Man Utd following their return to the division in 2018 (W1 D3), Wolves have now lost five of their last six against the Red Devils.
● No team has won their opening Premier League game more often than Manchester United (20), though the Red Devils have lost on MD1 in two of the last three seasons. They lost at home to Brighton in their first game last season, last losing their opening league game in consecutive campaigns since 1972-73/1973-74.
● Wolves have lost their opening league game in each of the last two seasons, last doing so in three consecutive campaigns between 1988-89 and 1990-91.
