Arsenal and Leicester City face tough away games in second-half of Premier League season

The fixture computer appears to have given Manchester City's Premier League title hopes a huge boost.

While Manuel Pellegrini's men are currently third in the table, they have the most favourable fixture list in the division for the second-half of the Premier League season. 

Each team still has to play every other side again - but, crucially, City's toughest games will be played at the Etihad. 

In contrast, top two Arsenal and Leicester City will play their trickiest games - on paper, at least - away from home.

We've worked out the average league position of each team's remaining opponents at home and away. Read on to see whether the fixture list favours your side in the second half of the campaign...  

STOKE

Average league position of opponents to play away:  8.7

Average league position of opponents to play at home:  12.2

Home games: Norwich, Arsenal, Everton, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Southampton, Swansea, Tottenham, Sunderland, Crystal Palace

Away games: West Brom, Leicester, Manchester United, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Watford, Liverpool, Manchester City, West Ham

After an impressive first half of the season, the Potters face a tricky away schedule in 2016. Only three of their matches on the road are against sides outside the top 10 and one of those is Chelsea. They also face a busy January with the two-legged Capital One Cup semi-final against Liverpool, the FA Cup clash with Doncaster and four league fixtures.

WATFORD

Average league position of opponents to play away: 8.8

Average league position of opponents to play at home:  12.5

Home games: Manchester City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Bournemouth, Leicester, Stoke, Everton, Aston Villa, Sunderland

Away games: Southampton, Swansea, Tottenham, Crystal Palace, Manchester United, West Ham, Arsenal, West Brom, Norwich, Liverpool

Watford have been the best of the three newly-promoted sides but face five of the top eight sides away from home in the second half of the season. They have to travel to Arsenal, Tottenham, Crystal Palace, Manchester United and West Ham while Manchester City and Leicester visit Vicarage Road.

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SWANSEA

Average league position of opponents to play away:  8.9

Average league position of opponents to play at home: 11.6

Home games: Sunderland, Watford, Crystal Palace, Southampton, Norwich, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City

Away games: Man Utd, Everton, West Brom, Tottenham, Arsenal, Bournemouth, Stoke, Newcastle, Leicester, West Ham

Struggling Swansea face a tough away schedule in 2016, with trips to Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal and Leicester still to come. They'll hope to capitalise on a kinder run of games at home, including key battles with Sunderland, Norwich and Aston Villa at the Liberty Stadium.

LEICESTER CITY

Average league position of opponents to play away: 9

Average league position of opponents to play at home: 12.7

Home games: Bournemouth, Stoke, Liverpool, Norwich, West Brom, Newcastle, Southampton, West Ham, Swansea, Everton

Away games: Tottenham, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Arsenal, Watford, Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Manchester United, Chelsea

Liverpool at home followed by back-to-back away days at Manchester City and Arsenal in February will further test high-flying Leicester's resilience. The season's surprise package have passed the majority of their examinations so far, though, and can keep their hopes of a shock title win alive with good home form - eight out of the ten teams still to visit Leicester are currently 10th or below in the league. 

ARSENAL

Average league position of opponents to play away: 9.3

Average league position of opponents to play at home: 12.5

Home games: Newcastle, Chelsea, Southampton, Leicester, Swansea, West Brom, Watford, Crystal Palace, Norwich, Aston Villa

Away games: Liverpool, Stoke, Bournemouth, Manchester United, Tottenham, Everton, West Ham, Sunderland, Manchester City

Who could Arsenal sign?

We round-up Arsenal's options in the transfer window

Arsenal may sit top of the Premier League but will have their title credentials tested in the second half of the season, with tough trips to Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Manchester City to come. They'll hope to make their home form count, with a number of teams from the lower half of the table still to visit the Emirates.

EVERTON

Average league position of opponents to play away: 9.5

Average league position of opponents to play at home:  11.6

Home games: Tottenham, Swansea, Newcastle, West Brom, West Ham, Arsenal, Southampton, Bournemouth, Norwich

Away games: Manchester City, Chelsea, Stoke, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Manchester United, Watford, Crystal Palace, Leicester

With only three of the top 10 still to play at Goodison this season, Everton face a few tricky away trips in 2016. They go to Manchester City, Manchester United, Leicester and Crystal Palace while also travelling to Anfield for the Merseyside derby.

ASTON VILLA

Average league position of opponents to play away:  9.6

Average league position of opponents to play at home:  10.4

Home games: Crystal Palace, Leicester, Norwich, Liverpool, Everton, Tottenham, Chelsea, Bournemouth, Southampton, Newcastle

Away games: Sunderland, West Brom, West Ham, Stoke, Man City, Swansea, Man Utd, Watford, Arsenal

Home games against Norwich, Bournemouth and Newcastle could prove to be crucial to rock-bottom Aston Villa's hopes of Premier League survival. Away trips to Sunderland and Swansea may also prove to be important with trips to Manchester City, Manchester United and, on the final day, Arsenal, potentially far sterner tests.

WEST BROM

Average league position of opponents to play away: 10

Average league position of opponents to play at home: 10.8

Home games: Stoke, Aston Villa, Swansea, Crystal Palace, Man Utd, Norwich, Watford, West Ham, Liverpool

Away games: Chelsea, Southampton, Newcastle, Everton, Leicester, Arsenal, Sunderland, Man City, Tottenham, Bournemouth

West Brom's toughest tests are split evenly between their home and away fixtures, with Crystal Palace, Manchester United and Liverpool due at the Hawthorns, while they face trips to Chelsea, Arsenal, Man City and Tottenham.

NEWCASTLE

Average league position of opponents to play away: 10.1

Average league position of opponents to play at home:  9

Home games: Man Utd, West Ham, West Brom, Man City, Bournemouth, Sunderland, Swansea, Crystal Palace, Tottenham

Away games: Arsenal, Watford, Everton, Chelsea, Stoke, Leicester, Norwich, Southampton, Liverpool, Aston Villa

Newcastle face Premier League leaders Arsenal at the Emirates this weekend but, on paper, their home games seem set to be harder than their away days in the second half of 2015/16. Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham are among the teams due to visit St James' Park.

SOUTHAMPTON

Average league position of opponents to play away: 10.2

Average league position of opponents to play at home: 10.7

Home games: Watford, West Brom, West Ham, Chelsea, Sunderland, Liverpool, Newcastle, Man City, Crystal Palace

Away games: Norwich, Man Utd, Arsenal, Swansea, Bournemouth, Stoke, Leicester, Everton, Aston Villa, Tottenham

Southampton face a tough final three games to the season, with home games against Manchester City and Crystal Palace either side of a trip to Tottenham, while back-to-back away days at Manchester United and Arsenal in four weeks' time will put Ronald Koeman's men to the test.

BOURNEMOUTH

Average league position of opponents to play away: 10.4

Average league position of opponents to play at home: 10

Home games: West Ham, Norwich, Arsenal, Stoke, Southampton, Swansea, Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, West Brom

Away games: Leicester, Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Watford, Newcastle, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Everton, Man Utd

Bournemouth will be loath to leave their fight against relegation to the final day, with a trip to Manchester United on the calendar. Indeed, the Cherries have to face Tottenham, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Everton in their final eight games. The small consolation is that three of those games will be at home.

NORWICH

Average league position of opponents to play away: 10.6

Average league position of opponents to play at home: 10

Home games: Southampton, Liverpool, Tottenham, West Ham, Chelsea, Man City, Newcastle, Sunderland, Watford, Man Utd

Away games: Stoke, Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Leicester, Swansea, West Brom, Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Everton

Norwich are facing a tough finale to their Premier League campaign, with away days at Arsenal and Everton sandwiching a home clash with Manchester United. However, there are also home games against Newcastle and Sunderland on the calendar - games Alex Neil will no doubt target for maximum points.

TOTTENHAM

Average league position of opponents to play away: 11.1

Average league position of opponents to play at home: 10.6

Home games: Leicester City, Sunderland, Watford, Swansea, Arsenal, Bournemouth, Manchester United, West Brom, Southampton

Away games: Everton, Crystal Palace, Norwich, Manchester City, West Ham, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Stoke, Chelsea, Newcastle

Can Spurs win the title?

Jamie Carragher and Jamie Redknapp assess Spurs' chances

On paper, Tottenham have a slightly tougher run of fixtures at home in the second half of the season but away days at Everton, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea will test their top-four credentials. A home game with Manchester United in April could be key in the race for the Champions League qualifying spots.

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SUNDERLAND

Average league position of opponents to play away: 11.1

Average league position of opponents to play at home:  9.1

Home games: Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Man City, Man Utd, Crystal Palace, Everton, West Brom, Leicester, Arsenal, Chelsea

Away games: Swansea, Tottenham, Liverpool, West Ham, Southampton, Newcastle, Norwich, Stoke, Watford

Relegation-threatened Sunderland face a crunch contest with Aston Villa this weekend, followed by a trip to Swansea and then, after a visit to Tottenham, a home clash with Bournemouth. The good news for Sam Allardyce is that the majority of Sunderland's tougher fixtures will be held at the Stadium of Light in the second half of the season.

MANCHESTER UNITED

Average league position of opponents to play away: 11.2

Average league position of opponents to play at home: 10.3

Home games: Swansea, Southampton, Stoke, Arsenal, Watford, Crystal Palace, Everton, Aston Villa, Leicester City, Bournemouth

Away games: Newcastle, Liverpool, Chelsea, Sunderland, West Brom, Manchester City, Tottenham, West Ham, Norwich

Who could Man Utd sign?

We look at Manchester United's potential January signings

On paper, Manchester United's remaining home games are tougher than their away games, however, they have trips to Liverpool and Chelsea coming up, as well as a Manchester derby at the Eithad and a visit to Tottenham to come. 

CRYSTAL PALACE

Average league position of opponents to play away: 11.7

Average league position of opponents to play at home: 9.8

Home games: Chelsea, Tottenham, Bournemouth, Watford, Liverpool, Leicester, Norwich, Everton, Stoke

Away games: Aston Villa, Manchester City, Swansea, West Brom, Sunderland, Manchester United, West Ham, Arsenal, Newcastle, Southampton

Crystal Palace have the third-best home record in the Premier League and will hope to continue their good form in front of their home fans in the second half of the campaign, when the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool come to town. 

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LIVERPOOL

Average league position of opponents to play away: 12

Average league position of opponents to play at home: 9.5

Home games: Arsenal, Manchester United, Sunderland, Everton, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Stoke, Newcastle, Watford

Away games: West Ham, Norwich, Leicester, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Southampton, Bournemouth, Swansea, West Brom

The second half of the season presents some crunch home games for Liverpool as Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham, Chelsea and Everton visit Anfield. However, on the road they only face three sides in the top 10 - Leicester, Crystal Palace and West Ham. 

CHELSEA

Average league position of opponents to play away: 12.1

Average league position of opponents to play at home: 8.3

Home games: West Brom, Everton, Man Utd, Newcastle, Stoke, West Ham, Man City, Tottenham, Leicester

Away games: Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Watford, Southampton, Norwich, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Swansea, Bournemouth, Sunderland

Who could Chelsea sign?

We look at the players who have been linked with a move to Chelsea

While Chelsea have had a wretched first half to the 2015/16 season, one thing in their favour is that their toughest fixtures in the second part of the campaign generally come at Stamford Bridge. Away days at Norwich, Aston Villa, Swansea, Bournemouth and Sunderland should present Chelsea with the opportunity to boost their points tally - but trips to Arsenal and Liverpool also await.

WEST HAM 

Average league position of opponents to play away: 12.3

Average league position of opponents to play at home: 9.1

Home games: Liverpool, Man City, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Tottenham, Watford, Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Manchester United, Swansea

Away games: Bournemouth, Newcastle, Southampton, Norwich, Everton, Chelsea, Leicester, West Brom, Stoke

West Ham pulled off a number of big away wins in the first half of the season and face a kinder run - on paper - in the New Year. In fact, Leicester are the only team currently in the top half West Ham have to travel to in the second half of the campaign.

MANCHESTER CITY

Average league position of opponents to play away: 13.5

Average league position of opponents to play at home: 8

Home games: Everton, Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Manchester United, West Brom, Stoke, Arsenal

Away games: Watford, West Ham, Sunderland, Newcastle, Liverpool, Norwich, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Southampton, Swansea

Who could City sign?

Will Manchester City dip into the January transfer market?

Manchester City season ticket holders have plenty of blockbuster games to look forward to at the Etihad in the second half of the campaign, with the rest of the top six still to visit Manuel Pellegrini's men. While City have a great chance to take points off their title rivals on their own turf, they'll also be optimistic of putting their current poor away form behind them, with trips to a number of struggling teams to come.