A joint record seven clubs will kick off the 2026-27 season under new Premier League managers. That’s nearly a third of the division starting fresh. The obvious question: who has the toughest opening run?
The fixtures are out. Each new boss now knows what’s coming in those first five games. Some face a gentle start. Others have been dealt a difficult hand from day one.
New Premier League Managers: How Rose Starts at Bournemouth
Marco Rose faces one of the hardest opening runs of the lot. His first task is a Bournemouth trip to the Etihad, where the Cherries have never taken a point in nine Premier League visits. Brutal from the off. The next three bring Everton, Newcastle, and Brentford, all sides who just missed out on Europe last season. Then Iraola arrives at the Vitality with his new Liverpool side. A very tough opening period.
Xabi Alonso and Chelsea: A London Derby From Day One
Alonso’s first game as a Premier League manager takes Chelsea one mile west to Craven Cottage. It could also see him face former Real Madrid team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa, who is closing in on the Fulham job. The pair won two European Championships and a World Cup with Spain. Chelsea’s third game then takes them to Arsenal. Three hard fixtures to open a new chapter at Stamford Bridge.
New Premier League Managers: Pierre Sage Gets a Kinder Draw
The Frenchman arrives from RC Lens, where he won the Coupe de France and guided Lens to second in Ligue 1. His first home game is against Manchester City. Yet Palace’s opening away fixtures are all against teams who finished in the bottom half last season. Ipswich also feature early on, a side who went straight back down after one season up. On paper, Sage has the best start of the group. That matters with a Europa League campaign also kicking off in September.
Fulham and Ipswich Still Need New Premier League Managers
Fulham appear close to appointing Arbeloa. Ipswich are still searching, after Kieran McKenna stepped away from management on departure. Both clubs face near-identical early fixtures: Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Sunderland. Sunderland earned a place in Europe last season on brilliant home form, so that fixture is far from easy. Whoever takes those jobs will need to be ready from week one.
Andoni Iraola Begins His Liverpool Era at Newcastle
Meetings between Liverpool and Newcastle have produced some of the Premier League’s most entertaining matches in recent years. Iraola’s debut on the opening new Premier League season weekend will draw plenty of attention for that reason. Three winnable games follow: Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, and Fulham. Then comes an early return to the Vitality Stadium, where Iraola built his reputation as a manager.
New Premier League Managers: The Manchester City Question
The standout early fixture for City’s new boss is a trip to Old Trafford. It’s the first Manchester derby without Pep Guardiola in a decade, and City lost on their last visit there. The rest of their opening run looks kinder, with home games against Coventry and other manageable opponents on the schedule.
What the First Month Will Tell Us
Seven new faces in Premier League dugouts is remarkable. The fixture list hasn’t been equally kind to all of them. Rose and Iraola face the sternest early tests. Sage and the incoming City manager have more room to settle in.
Early results always set a tone, though. A strong opening can settle a squad and a fanbase quickly. A difficult one, for a manager still finding their feet, can plant seeds of doubt that are hard to shift. It sets up a compelling August for all seven of those new Premier League managers and their clubs.
Follow all the latest news and analysis here as the season approaches.
