For Premier League clubs, it has repeatedly been shown how important a strong start to a season is.
Pick up points early on and it can have a massive impact on where you end up.
All points are important but banking them early can be absolutely key.
Struggle early and that can set in motion a very difficult struggle that is difficult to climb out of.
Accumulate a decent number early and the confidence and momentum flows.
Plus of course giving yourself the best possible start can help safeguard against what might happen later on.
I have taken a look at the 2025/26 Premier League season.
I think that the first six Premier League matches are huge and the story of what happened last season for these clubs sums up perfectly how vital those early points can be:
2025/26 Premier League top six after opening half dozen matches with number of points ahead of each club:
15 Liverpool
13 Arsenal
12 Crystal Palace
11 Tottenham
11 Sunderland
11 Bournemouth
(6 Newcastle United 15th)
Final 2025/26 Premier League placings after all 38 games:
60 Liverpool (5th)
85 Arsenal (1st)
45 Crystal Palace (15th)
41 Tottenham (17th)
54 Sunderland (7th)
57 Bournemouth (6th)
(49 Newcastle United 12th)
If say these six clubs above, who were the top six after half a dozen EPL matches last season, what if they had got only six points (as Newcastle United did) from a possible first 18, where would they have ended up when the 2025/26 Premier League season ended?
Liverpool would have ended the season in 11th place on 51 points with no European football whatsoever, instead of the Champions League spot they got.
Arsenal would have finished level on points with Manchester City but lost the title on goal difference.
Crystal Palace would have ended up on 39 points, the total that West Ham got. So a case of goal difference deciding which of the two went down.
Tottenham would have been relegated on 36 points, three adrift of safety in 18th spot.
Sunderland would have ended up 12th, no European football.
Bournemouth would have ended the season in 10th or 11th depending on goal difference, no European football.
For Newcastle United, after picking up four points from two opening fixtures where they were universally predicted to get zero points, a huge opportunity now with games against Bournemouth, Leeds, Hull and Coventry. Get nine or more points from these games and after the six opening matches NUFC would be on 13+ points and a brilliant platform to then take on the rest of the season.
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