The best Premier League opening day stats

The Premier League's fixtures for 2016-17 have been announced, with Arsenal against Liverpool the pick of the matches on the opening weekend. Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho begins his top-flight career at Manchester United away to AFC Bournemouth, while Antonio Conte's reign at Chelsea starts at home to West Ham.

Published : Jun 15, 2016 23:14 IST , London

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has scored more goals (six) on the first weekend than any other active top-flight player.
Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has scored more goals (six) on the first weekend than any other active top-flight player.
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Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has scored more goals (six) on the first weekend than any other active top-flight player.

The Premier League's fixtures for 2016-17 have been announced, with Arsenal against Liverpool the pick of the matches on the opening weekend. Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho begins his top-flight career at Manchester United away to AFC Bournemouth, while Antonio Conte's reign at Chelsea starts at home to West Ham.

Pep Guardiola's first taste of the English top-flight will see Manchester City host Sunderland, while champions Leicester City travel to newly promoted Hull City.

MOU AND ROO HAVE OPENING DAY FORM

Mourinho and his new captain Wayne Rooney have both enjoyed success on the first weekend. 'The Special One' won six and drew one of his seven Premier League season debuts at Chelsea, while Rooney has scored more goals (six) on the first weekend than any other active top-flight player.

However, four of United's five opening day defeats in the Premier League era have come when it was playing away from home, which gives Bournemouth some hope.


ARSENAL HOPES FOR CHANGE IN FORTUNES

Arsenal has historically been strong in the first match of a new campaign, losing only two of its last 15 and recording 10 victories. However, both of those defeats have come in the last three years and the Gunners have conceded as many goals (six) in that period as in the previous 12.

Liverpool, meanwhile, has won three in a row on the opening weekend – its best run since it won five in succession between 1998 and 2002.


PROMOTED SIDES LOOK TO BUCK TREND

Burnley, Middlesbrough and Hull will be hoping to bring an end to a run that has seen every newly promoted team since August 2012 fail to win its first match of a Premier League campaign. Boro, though, has only won two of its 14 previous openers in the top flight, while Hull is winless in five league meetings against its opponents, Leicester.

Burnley will be hopeful, though, with Swansea City coming to Turf Moor having won only two of its last 10 matches to kick off the season in games that have spanned four tiers of the league system.


OMENS GOOD FOR CONTE

Conte has a tough first match at home to West Ham, but Chelsea's record on the first weekend is superb, with 14 wins and three draws from its last 17 games. Chelsea has also collected more points in opening matches (51) than any other Premier league side, with Manchester United second on 49.

But West Ham has suffered more defeats to kick off a Premier League season than any other team, the joint-worst record along with Tottenham, which also has nine defeats.


LEICESTER TO CONTINUE CHAMPIONS' TRADITION?

Leicester is at newly promoted Hull as it looks to ensure an astonishing sequence continues, with the defending champion never losing its first game of a campaign in the Premier League era. That covers 23 years, with 19 title-winning teams starting their defences with victories and four drawing.

Leicester, though, has only won two in 10 Premier League openers – can its status as champion drive them on?


PEP POTENT ON THE OPENING DAY

Since losing his first match as a top-flight manager against Numancia in 2008, Guardiola has won six opening league fixtures in a row with Barcelona and Bayern Munich. City also has a strong run to defend, with the team which finished fourth last season yet to lose a Premier League curtain-raiser at home.

Sunderland's record on the first weekend is uninspiring – four draws and two defeats in the previous six league seasons.


DRAWS GALORE FOR EVERTON

No team drew more matches than Everton (14) in Premier League last season and Ronald Koeman's new team has also been prolific in seeing its inaugural games end level. It has drawn nine matches to kick off a Premier League campaign, more than any other side. Each of its last three have finished with a 2-2 scoreline.

Tottenham will hope it does not score two at Goodison Park, as it has only scored 23 times in the 23 opening day fixtures it has played.

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