Mikel Arteta and Arsenal only have one more week to wait until they discover their opponents on the opening day of the 2025/26 season. It may only be just over a fortnight ago that the 2024/25 Premier League campaign drew to a close but next season's fixtures will be released very soon indeed.
Wednesday, June 18 is the big day all supporters across the country are waiting for, with fixtures for all 20 clubs released at 9am sharp. The new season will then commence on Friday, August 15, with the majority of games being played over that weekend.
It is a big season in north London as Arteta looks to guide his Arsenal team to some much-needed silverware. Finishing in second position in each of the last three seasons, now the Gunners have to go one better and beat the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City to England's top prize.
So, ahead of fixture release day, what are the best and worst case scenarios for Arsenal on the opening weekend of the new season? football.london take a look below.
Best case
Home game
Arteta's team were very strong at home during the 2024/25 Premier League season, winning 11 of their 19 league fixtures at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners were only defeated twice on home soil in the league, with West Ham and Bournemouth surprisingly the two teams to take maximum points in north London.
All teams want a home opener and Arsenal will be exactly the same. Arsenal are very impressive at home and a kind opening day fixture could mean they get off to the best possible start.
Promoted club
Leeds United, Burnley and Sunderland are all back at the top table of English football after securing promotion from the Championship in the 2024/25 campaign. At least one of the promoted sides is always pitted against a Premier League big gun on the opening weekend, meaning there is a fair chance Arsenal could face one of the trio.
You would probably want to avoid Leeds United, especially at Elland Road on the first day, as they look the team out of the three best equipped to try and stay in the top flight. Daniel Farke's side will also be backed by a raucous crowd on the opening weekend if they are to be at home.
One of Sunderland or Burnley would be the pick out of the three promoted clubs if the Gunners are to be paired against them straight up.
Chelsea
There is a reason why we have opted for Chelsea in this category. The Blues are taking part in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup this summer and they could be playing matches into the middle of July if they are to reach the latter stages of the competition.
As a number of players may have gone straight into international action after the Premier League season before then heading to the Club World Cup, it remains to be seen what their fitness levels will be like come the opening day of the Premier League season. Enzo Maresca does have a decent size squad, though, and will be able to rotate if required.
It may in fact be a good time to play the west London club rather than wait until later in the season when they are up to full speed.
Worst case
Liverpool
Liverpool are the current favourites to get their hands on the Premier League trophy come May 2026. The Reds were very impressive in Arne Slot's debut campaign on Merseyside and they never looked in any real danger of losing top spot throughout the season.
It would be some opening day fixture if Arsenal and Liverpool were to meet. The sides did in fact face off on the opening day of the 2016/17 campaign, with Liverpool winning a 4-3 thriller at the Emirates Stadium.
Liverpool are most definitely a team Arsenal will want to avoid first up.
Top-four rival
A game against another top-four rival is something that will not be on Arteta's wishlist. Manchester City certainly look like they will be stronger after making some early moves in the summer transfer market.
Newcastle United, Chelsea and Aston Villa will all be expected to push for a top-four finish again and Tottenham could potentially come back into the equation after finishing 17th. While of course it would be a good indicator to see where exactly Arsenal stand heading into the new term, all will no doubt just want a winnable fixture so they can get off to the best possible start.
Tough away day
Arsenal fared well on the road in the 2024/25 Premier League season, losing just twice away from home. Those defeats came away at Bournemouth and Newcastle United in their first ten fixtures of the new season.
The Gunners did draw eight of their 19 games and they could have been a lot closer to Liverpool in the title race had they turned some of those draws into wins. We have already mentioned the importance of home comforts on the opening weekend and, in contrast, no team will want to see a tough away game at the top of their list when they look down their 2025/26 fixtures.