The 2022/23 English Premier League season saw Arsenal lead the table for the better part of the season, only to see their dream crumble with five matches to go. City were the eventual winners, with Manchester United and Newcastle completing the top four. Liverpool left it late to secure fifth place after a good run that saw them leapfrog Brighton, Spurs, Westham, and Aston Villa.
Early signs are already showing, with Manchester City leading with maximum points. However, it is the key fixtures that are likely going to determine how the season shapes in the end. Here are the crucial months for the traditional top six, featuring matches against each other. EPL betting fans can use the bet365 bonus code to bet on all the action.
Manchester City
Manchester City will have their fair share of challenges in the upcoming season. They'll be facing Arsenal, Brighton, and then Manchester United in October, which definitely looks like a tough run of games. About a month later, things don't get easier for them as they go up against Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur consecutively. It's quite interesting how these crucial matches are grouped closely together. However, when it comes to the end of the season, their path seems relatively easy, with matches against Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Fulham, and West Ham in their last four games.
Arsenal
Speaking of Arsenal, they seem to have a relatively manageable start to the season on paper. Their opening matches were against Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, and Fulham, before they saw off Manchester United 3-1 in a match won in injury time. Nonetheless, Mikel Arteta's team will face a challenging period in autumn, with matches against Manchester City, Chelsea, and Newcastle United packed into one month. As the season nears its end, two out of their final four games will be against teams from the 'big six.' Arsenal will clash with Spurs in late April, followed by a trip to face Manchester United in mid-May.
Manchester United
Manchester United have had a real start to the season after losing to Spurs and Arsenal in their early North Londo trips. December seems to pose another real challenge for them, as they have matches against Newcastle, Chelsea, and Liverpool within a span of four games.
Liverpool
Liverpool had a demanding start to their campaign with an opening-day visit to face Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea, followed by a trip to Newcastle United for their third match. They came out unscathed in both before beating Aston Villa in the last game before the international break. The busy December period sees them facing back-to-back matches against United and Arsenal, which could prove to be a tough phase.
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur, under Ange Postecoglou, kicked off their Premier League journey with a draw at Brentford, before seeing off Manchester United in London in their second. The spring period from mid-April to early May holds significant importance, as Spurs are set to encounter a series of matches against Newcastle (away), City (home), Arsenal (home), and Liverpool (away).
Chelsea
Mauricio Pochettino's tenure at Chelsea began with a tough match against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on the opening weekend. The second was another trip to neighbours West Ham, to whom they went down 1-3 before a consolation win against promoted Luton. However, they lost 0-1 to Nottingham Forest at the Bridge in their last game before the international break. December doesn’t look any kind to the Blues as they have fixtures against Spurs (away), City (home), Newcastle (away), Brighton (home), and United (away) all lined up in succession.