Despite facing a challenging initial set of matches in the upcoming Premier League season, Arsenal have received a significant boost.
In their first five games of the 2025/26 campaign, the Gunners are scheduled to play against three of the traditional `Big Six` clubs.
Mikel Arteta`s squad will begin their season away from home against Manchester United, followed by fixtures against Leeds United, the reigning champions Liverpool, Manchester City, and Newcastle United.
The North London side will be hoping to land an early blow to Liverpool`s title defense ambitions when they visit Anfield.
However, their chances of securing a positive result appear significantly higher in the reverse fixture, which is scheduled for January.
This is primarily because Liverpool will be without their key player, Mohamed Salah.
The prolific Egyptian forward for the Merseyside club will miss the match as he is expected to be participating in the African Cup of Nations tournament.
Salah`s unavailability for what could be a crucial six-point encounter in the title race will undoubtedly be welcome news for the Arsenal faithful at the Emirates.
The 33-year-old has historically posed a major threat to Arsenal, having netted ten goals against them in his last 17 appearances across all competitions.
Arsenal supporters were reportedly surprised by the tough start to the Premier League season assigned to their team by the fixture computer, especially given the potential significance of the season for manager Mikel Arteta.
This surprise led several fans to humorously suggest, without providing any concrete evidence, that the fixtures had been “rigged”.
One fan commented on social media platform X, stating: “The league [is] trying to set us up.”
Another user posted: “Na this league is rigged.”
A third comment read: “Them fixtures are rigged.”
One person remarked: “Nobody can tell me this isn`t rigged.”
Another seemingly frustrated supporter added simply: “Rigged.”
