On 16th June, Premier League released the fixture list for the upcoming 2021/22 season. The new season starts on 14th August, and the drama begins from day 1 itself. Opening weekend has some mouth-watering clashes, with champions Man City travelling to face Spurs, while Man United host fierce rivals Leeds United.
Chelsea kick-start their campaign at home to Crystal Palace. The Blues face four of the ‘Big Six’ in the next five fixtures. They travel to Arsenal and Liverpool, host Aston Villa, then face Spurs and Man City after the Palace opener.
Over the course of October, Blues have easy (on paper at least) fixtures. Their next five opponents comprise of teams who are either promoted or finished in the bottom half last season, before tricky games against Leicester and Man United to finish November.
December sees Chelsea host Everton and rivals Leeds United, with a visit to Villa Park lined up on Boxing Day.
The new year presents the same challenge as the beginning of the season. Of the first five matches of 2022, four are against the ‘Big Six’ clubs – Liverpool, Man City, Spurs and Arsenal. Following that run, there’s respite again for Thomas Tuchel. Their penultimate fixture is a trip to Old Trafford, which is scheduled for the weekend of 15th May. The match could potentially have huge significance in the seasons of Man United and Chelsea. The Blues finish their campaign at home to promoted Watford.
Prior to the season opener against Palace, Chelsea have a mid-week UEFA Super Cup tie against Villarreal. The exact day and timings of the fixtures are yet to be released. The Premier League along with the UK government are working together to make sure maximum number of fans can be back in the stadiums from week 1 itself.