The exciting 2023/24 Premier League season has ended with Manchester City claiming the championship for the fourth straight year, finishing just two points ahead of their nearest rivals, Arsenal.
When does the 2024/25 Premier League season start and end?
The Premier League has revealed that the 2024/25 season will start on Friday, August 17, exactly 90 days after the previous season concluded. The final matches will be played on May 25, with all ten games beginning at the same time.The 2024–25 Premier League will be the 33rd season of the Premier League and the 126th season of top-flight English football overall.
Adjustments to the schedule:
In order to ease the crowded fixture list over the Christmas and New Year period, the league has introduced measures to provide clubs with extra rest during three of the holiday game weeks. Teams will not have a match scheduled within 60 hours of their previous one.
In 2023, Wolverhampton Wanderers secured a 2-1 victory against Chelsea at Molineux, marking the first Premier League match held on Christmas Eve since 1995. However, there won’t be any holiday fixtures in 2024.
How many matches are there in the Premier League?
The upcoming 2024/25 season will comprise 380 matches, encompassing 33 weekend fixtures, four midweek rounds, and one bank holiday gameweek. The full schedule will be unveiled on June 18.
The mid-season break has also been removed from the calendar to allow a mid-August start date for the Premier League.
“This takes into account expert advice from medical and technical departments, which values a longer period of complete rest in the summer rather than a short break in the winter,” according to premierleague.com.
According to the FIFA men’s international match calendar, international breaks are scheduled for September 1-9, October 6-14 and November 10-18, 2024 for England’s fresh Nations League campaign.
Another international break takes place from March 23-31, 2025 as 2026 World Cup qualifying begins.
Which teams are considered the frontrunners to clinch the title?
Manchester City, led by Pep Guardiola, who has affirmed his commitment to the Etihad Stadium for another season, maintain their status as the top contenders, having claimed six out of the last seven titles.
City’s consistent success in domestic competitions is credited to Guardiola’s capacity to consistently adapt his tactics and conduct minor overhauls, smoothly incorporating fresh talent to fill the void left by key players.
Championship contenders:
Although unseating Manchester City will pose a significant challenge, Arsenal, under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, have demonstrated their ability to contend at the highest level. The Gunners battled for the title until the final day of the 2023/24 season, securing a second-place finish, and their development under Arteta positions them as formidable challengers.
Other contenders:
- Liverpool: The only team to have beaten Manchester City in the past seven seasons (2019/20). Under new management by Arne Slot, they are entering a new era after nine years with Jurgen Klopp.
- Manchester United: Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, they have not reclaimed the league title. Erik ten Hag’s future is uncertain, but significant off-field changes aim to restore the club’s former glory.
- Chelsea: Despite a disappointing 12th place finish in the 2022/23 season, Mauricio Pochettino’s side secured European competition by the season’s end.
Leicester are back in the top-flight, and Ipswich have also earned promotion to the Premier League after an absence of more than 20 years. Either Leeds or Southampton will join them through the play-offs.
The 2024/25 season is set to be thrilling. Will Manchester City maintain their dominance, or will another contender rise to challenge them? The answers will unfold soon.