Premier League fixtures reaction: Liverpool face Bournemouth as Arsenal head to Man Utd

Sam Drury
BBC Sport

An increasingly hectic football calendar means this season is bookended by a pair of World Cups – the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup this summer, and the more familiar international tournament in 2026.

As ever, keeping players fit will be crucial for managers across the league and with nine Premier League clubs competing in Europe as well this year, for almost half of them, that will be even more tricky.

“The start date of 16 August allows for the maximum player rest time available – 83 clear days – from the end of the 2024-25 season,” the Premier League said.

“The season end date of 24 May 2026 ensures the Premier League season finishes ahead of the Fifa 2026 World Cup call-up period.”

But not all clubs will get those 83 clear days.

Should Manchester City or Chelsea reach the Club World Cup final, they could be faced with playing the first game of the 2025-26 season just 34 days after ending the 2024-25 one.

There should at least be some respite over Christmas and new year with the schedule ensuring no two rounds of fixtures take place within 60 hours of each other – and no matches on Christmas Eve.