It is a mistake for Aston Villa to overlook anyone. This is the Premier League. Even when a side is in a bad run of form, there is always a chance of something unforeseeable happening and a team that then punches over its own weight and finds a way to earn a result.
With that in mind, there is still an overall feel that can be surmised when looking at how the schedule has been laid out. It is known that Villa have to get off to a better start to the year compared to what happened during the 2024-2025 season.
Fortunately for Villa in their aim to achieve that early goal, the early fixtures appear to be highly advantageous in order to have a strong initial showing.
The campaign will begin at Villa Park against Newcastle United. By all means, that should be a good matchup against a visiting side that has quality. Even so, at VP, Villa will like their chances to start off the season with three points.
After that, Villa will travel away to Brentford and then host Crystal Palace. September then looks very favorable for Unai Emery's men, as they will have two away fixtures against Everton and Sunderland, and then finish the month at Villa Park against Fulham.
Why the start to 2025-2026 is especially important for Aston Villa
When looking at how things look in December and May specifically, things become much more tenuous. While Villa would, of course, love to win each match. This year in particular needs to see the side come out strong, put on good performances, and rack up points early.
The more difficult portions of the season will come regardless. In a sense, it is a blessing to have the beginning of the year more favorable, allowing for Villa to not have to immediately rise to the occasion against some of the presumptive title contenders.
By the time those fixtures do come along, ideally, Emery's side will be a well-oiled machine by then.