The Premier League could really take shape across the next nine Matchweeks in which 90 matches will be played in only 45 days.
Here, we analyse which teams have the best and worst schedules during that period, according to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR).
FDR, a tool used in Fantasy Premier League, ranks fixtures from one (easy) to five (hard), with green indicating easier matches and red showing tougher ones.
We have then calculated the average difficulty of every club's schedule and listed them all in order, with the teams at the top having the toughest runs of matches.
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Who has the hardest fixtures?
On paper, Everton face the toughest run, closely followed by Leicester City.
According to the FDR, Sean Dyche's side have an average score of 3.6 for their next nine matches. Everton will take on the current top five clubs in succession, including away trips to Arsenal and Manchester City, as well as hosting Merseyside rivals and league leaders Liverpool. They also face Chelsea and Nottingham Forest at home.
Additionally, the Toffees will be the first team to visit Manchester United at Old Trafford under new head coach Ruben Amorim.
Everton's next five PL matches
Leicester also face a demanding festive period, with an average FDR of 3.4. They conclude 2024 with back-to-back matches against Liverpool and Man City, before starting 2025 with a tough trip to Aston Villa.
The Foxes' run kicks off with a home fixture against Chelsea, followed by a challenging trip to Brentford, who boast the best home record in the Premier League, having dropped only two points at the Gtech Community Stadium this season.
Who has the easiest fixtures?
Chelsea have the most favourable FDR across their next nine matches, with a rating of 2.3. Although six of these encounters are away from home, the schedule is relatively kind, as five of their opponents currently sit in the bottom six.
Enzo Maresca's side will travel to Leicester, Southampton, Everton, Ipswich Town, and Crystal Palace all of whom are struggling near the foot of the table.
However, the run isn’t without its challenges, with Chelsea facing a tough London derby at Tottenham Hotspur.
Chelsea's next five PL matches
The FDR provides encouragement for Wolverhampton Wanderers, who currently sit 19th, with only one win in the league this season.
With an average rating of 2.6 for their next nine fixtures, their upcoming schedule includes matches against fellow strugglers Everton, West Ham United, Ipswich and Leicester, all of whom have won three or fewer matches this season.
Wolves' next five PL matches
Wolves' festive period concludes with more challenging fixtures, according to the FDR, against Man Utd, Spurs and Forest.
Arsenal to close gap at the top?
Arsenal have a chance to make up ground on title rivals Man City and Liverpool, who face each other in a blockbuster contest in Matchweek 13.
The FDR has rated the Gunners' schedule at 2.6, compared to City's 3.0 and Liverpool's 2.9. Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures look relatively favourable, with matches against Everton, Palace and Ipswich scheduled in Matchweeks 16 to 18. This presents a prime opportunity for Mikel Arteta’s side to capitalise on their rivals’ tougher schedules and close the gap at the top of the table.
Tough away fixtures for Amorim
New Man Utd head coach Amorim faces a favourable opening two matches start to his Premier League tenure, against Ipswich and Everton.
However, the real test for United comes in the following stretch, where they will face difficult trips to Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool, while also hosting Forest, who are unbeaten away from home this season.
Man Utd's next five PL matches
Despite the tough run, Amorim has previous experience of getting the better of both Pep Guardiola's side and Arteta's Arsenal during his time at former club Sporting CP.
