Friday 7 August 2015 18:06, UK
Ahead of the new Premier League season, we examine the importance of the opening day results.
After a summer, albeit short, of anticipation supporters up and down the land will finally get to see their teams in action this weekend, when the 2015/16 season gets underway.
While no medals are handed out in August, it's considered important to get off to a fast start - but perhaps a team’s fortunes on the opening day of the season are rather more significant than it might seem.
For example, only one club has lost their first game of a Premier League season and gone on to win the title. That suggests as many as 10 clubs could effectively see their championship chances end on the opening weekend!
Manchester United were the team to suffer an opening day defeat but emerge as champions - and they’ve done it three times (1992/93, 1995/96 and 2012/13). So, don’t rule out Louis van Gaal’s men if their first match against Tottenham doesn’t go their way.
In fact, the opening game is more of an indicator of past success than future glory. The defending Premier League champions have never lost their first game of the season.
That is ominous for Swansea, who face Chelsea on Sky Sports on Saturday Night Football - especially as Jose Mourinho has a 100 per cent record on the opening weekend.
So how does your team fare in the first round of matches? Here are some of the key stats for each of the 20 Premier League teams in 2015/16…
ARSENAL
- Won nine and lost one of their last 14 opening day fixtures (D4).
- Started last season with 2-1 home win v Crystal Palace with Aaron Ramsey scoring a 90th minute winner.
ASTON VILLA
- Won each of their last two opening PL games - 3-1 at Arsenal (August 2013) and 1-0 at Stoke (August 2014).
- Won five, drawn five and lost five of last 15 opening fixtures.
BOURNEMOUTH
- Won last two opening league games and are unbeaten in three. Won 4-0 at Huddersfield last season.
- Started 2008/09 season with 1-1 League Two home draw v Gillingham which moved them onto -16 points and in 23rd place.
CHELSEA
- Have the best opening weekend record in PL history - P23 W15 D5 L3. They have the most points (50 from possible 69) and best points-per-game (2.17) of any PL club in opening day matches.
- Unbeaten on opening weekend of last 16 PL seasons (W14 D2) since 2-1 defeat at Coventry (August 1998).
CRYSTAL PALACE
- Won only one of their previous six opening day PL fixtures - 2-1 at Everton in August 1997 under Steve Coppell.
- Lost 6-1 at home v Liverpool on opening day of 1994/95.
EVERTON
- Won one of last seven opening day fixtures (D2 L4) - only win was 1-0 home v Man Utd (August 2012).
- Lost 6-1 at home v Arsenal in opening fixture in 2009.
LEICESTER
- Won only one of their nine opening day PL fixtures (D5, L3) - only 1-0 home v Aston Villa (August 1997).
- Started last season with a 2-2 draw at Everton.
LIVERPOOL
- Won last two opening fixtures, 1-0 at home v Stoke (August 2013) and 2-1 at home v Southampton (August 2014).
- Won four of their last 12 games on the opening day (D5 L3).
MAN CITY
- Unbeaten in last six opening weekend fixtures (W5 D1) - last defeat was 4-2 at Aston Villa (August 2008).
- Begun each of their two PL title winning seasons with 4-0 home wins on Monday Night Football (v Newcastle in 2013 and v Swansea in 2011).
MAN UTD
- Lost two of last three opening PL fixtures - 1-0 at Everton in 2012 and 2-1 at home v Swansea last season.
- Opening day record reads: P23, W14, D4, L5, only Chelsea have a better record.
NEWCASTLE
- Met Man City in the first game of the last two seasons - lost both.
- Lost on opening weekend in three of last eight PL seasons (W3 D2) - all defeats against Manchester clubs (also lost 3-0 v Man Utd, August 2010).
NORWICH
- Not won in 12 opening league fixtures since 4-0 Division One home win v Grimsby in August 2002.
- Lost 7-1 at home v Colchester in League One in August 2009.
SOUTHAMPTON
- Started last three seasons with an away fixture and started away in last five PL campaigns.
- PL record on opening day: P16 W2 D6 L8 - won 1-0 at West Brom in August 2013 and 1-0 at Coventry in August 1999. Both winners came in or after the 85th minute.
STOKE
- Won one of seven opening PL fixtures (D2, L4) - 2-0 v Burnley (H) in August 2009.
- Started last season with 1-0 home defeat v Aston Villa.
SUNDERLAND
- Not won on the opening weekend in any of last five PL seasons (D4 L1).
- Last opening day success was a 1-0 PL win at Bolton (August 2009) - Darren Bent scored.
SWANSEA
- Won 2-1 at Man Utd last season. Had lost 4-1 at home to Man Utd in August 2013.
- Won two of last three opening league games having lost six in succession prior to this.
TOTTENHAM
- Won last two opening day games by 1-0, away at Crystal Palace in August 2013 and at West Ham last season.
- Won three of last nine opening day fixtures (D1 L5).
WATFORD
- Unbeaten in eight opening league games (W5 D3) since 2-1 PL defeat at Everton in 2006/07, their last PL season.
- Started last season with four wins from five games including 3-0 home v Bolton on the opening day.
WEST BROM
- Won one of their nine opening PL games (D3 L5) - only win 3-0 home v Liverpool (August 2012).
- Newly promoted West Brom's 6-0 defeat at Chelsea (August 2010) remains the heaviest opening weekend defeat for any club in PL history.
WEST HAM
- Started last season with 1-0 home defeat v Tottenham when Eric Dier scored an injury time winner, Mark Noble missed a penalty and James Collins was sent off.
