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Can the fixture list have a bearing on who will win the 2011/2012 Premier League?

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The countdown to the new Premier League season is truly underway now after the complete set of fixtures were released this week. It’s a time of tension and excitement, especially for the newly promoted sides like Swansea, who discovered they will face the tough test of Manchester City at Eastlands in their first premier league outing. It’s also the first chance the Title and Champions league contenders will get a chance to eye up the fixtures and potential season changing periods.

Although an array of myths and statistics surround the fixture list, do the fixtures actually matter and have an influence on where the Championship and battle for top places are won or lost?

Last season this debate was arguably chucked out the window with the unpredictable, roller coaster ride which was the 2010/2011 Premier League season; who could have predicted Wolves beating Manchester United and Chelsea or Newly promoted Blackpool doing the double over Liverpool. That’s football… but I will attempt to analyse where the 2011/2012 Premier league title could be won or lost.

At a glance champions Manchester United have a tough first 5 games, facing Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea along with the tricky West Bromwich Albion and Bolton Wanderers. However gloomy this may seem it is handy to note their fixtures against the ‘tougher’ teams of Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea are all played at Old Trafford, United will also have the fearlessness of going into the season as champions and a sense of invulnerability having just trumped rivals Liverpool’s Title tally of 19.

The winter and Christmas period are seen by most as the most crucial part of the season, it is often the team who can endure the tense schedule the best who comes out on top in the title race. On this evidence, Sir Alex Ferguson will be pleased with the Christmas schedule handing him newly promoted Queens Park Rangers, Fulham, Wigan, Blackburn and Newcastle, although no game in the hectic Christmas bonanza is easy.

The Manchester Derby scheduled for the April 28th will be being touted as a potential title decider as the season draws to an end, the game at Eastlands could be decisive if both halves of Manchester are pushing for Title glory.

The Manchester City fans will be craving further domestic success following their FA Cup triumph last term. Roberto Mancini’s men will be looking to kick off their campaign in flying style with Swansea City at home on the first day followed by tough trips to Bolton and Tottenham. Last seasons promising start unfortunately ended in The Sky Blues fading away in the latter half of the season, they will have a tough ask in seeking to keep stability over the pivotal Christmas period with home games against Arsenal and Liverpool along with clashes with Stoke, Sunderland and West Brom.

Experts will however point to the two intriguing Manchester derbys, timed at crucial points in the season and say that whoever builds their confidence with possible big wins in either of these games could walk away with the title.

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  • PR says:

    More of an influence is what games teams have immediately after Champions League games.

    Check it out – after the six group games Man United are at home six times. City are away every time.

    Outrageous.

    • Sam Scott says:

      Yeah you’re absolutely right i just didn’t know when the Champions league games were. It could be luck of the fixtures or classic favouritism towards United

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