The Premier League fixture schedule for Chelsea’s 2016/17 redemption season is out. The Antonio Conte era at Stamford Bridge is less than two months away.
October 22. Clear your calendar.
No working overtime. No family picnics. No decorating the house for Halloween.
October 22.
The date Jose Mourinho walks into Stamford Bridge wearing a red tie and black scarf.
The Premier League released Chelsea’s 2016/17 schedule today. After top quality early-season fixtures against Arsenal, Liverpool and defending champions Leicester City, Chelsea fans get the game they have been waiting for on October 22.
More from Chelsea FC News
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 1 Blue Mauricio Pochettino should drop
- Bournemouth vs Chelsea: 3 Blues who must start
- Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Bournemouth: Palmer starts in 4-2-3-1
- Chelsea sporting directors finally reveal why they sign so many young players
- These 3 new signings may never get a game at Chelsea
Chelsea opens the season at home against West Ham United on August 13. Antonio Conte will make his debut against a Hammers squad ready to start the season on a strong foot as they prepare to enter the Europa League in the third qualifying round. The Blues will visit the Hammers’ new home at Olympic Stadium on March 4 for the reverse fixture.
The Antonio Conte – Pep Guardiola tactical battle squares off on December 3 at the Etihad, with Guardiola leading Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on April 5. April will be a difficult month for the Blues, with the always-annoying Crystal Palace and Southampton at home book-ending the return fixture to visit Jose at Old Trafford on April 15.
The Blues welcome Middlesbrough – featuring Chelsea loanee Tomas Kalas – back to Stamford Bridge on May 6 for the first time since 2009. Middlesbrough has not scored a goal against Chelsea since 2006, and has not scored at Stamford Bridge since a 2-2 draw in 2001.
The Blues open their 2016/17 season just over one month after the conclusion of Euro 2016. Depending on how the Blues’ internationals and incoming manager Antonio Conte fare in France, they may have very little time to adapt to Conte’s style of management and play. In his first match at Euro 2016 Antonio Conte demonstrated how quickly he could mold a team to his “chameleon” tactics, as the Italian national squad looked like they had been playing together regularly for years in their masterclass against Belgium.
Conte’s Azzurri squad was anchored by a familiar backline trio from the national team and Juventus. Conte will not have that luxury at Stamford Bridge. He will be taking over a club that has been through a variety of tactics and formations (or lack thereof) over the last few seasons. Conte will need all of his iron-fist reputation to build a team ethos out of a locker room dominated by strong, stubborn individuals like John Terry and Diego Costa.
Add to that the potential for completely new faces like Radja Nainggolan and Chelsea academy graduates Fikayo Tomori and Jake Clarke-Salter, and it may not be until late September that the full potential of the Antonio Conte era pays off at Stamford Bridge.
Next: Chelsea Roundtable: Euro 2016, transfers and Antonio Conte
Other interesting fixtures from around the league include Jose Mourinho’s visit to Arsene Wenger at the Emirates Stadium on November 19, the first Manchester Derby for Mourinho and Guardiola on September 10 at Old Trafford and a rematch of last year’s crucial Leicester City – Tottenham Hotspur match on the last day of the season.