Notes on Chelsea’s 2017/18 schedule: Tottenham in week 2, back-to-back away at Manchester
By George Perry
Chelsea’s Premier League title defence starts at home against Burnley, then quickly ramps up the following week with Tottenham at Wembley. Here are some highlights of Chelsea’s 2017/18 schedule.
In under two months Chelsea will walk onto the pitch at Stamford Bridge with gold Premier League patches on their left arms. The Blues open against Burnley on 12 August, the third time the two sides will meet in August since Burnley’s return to the top flight. Chelsea won both August home fixtures 3-0, and a season-opener away 3-1.
They will have little opportunity to find their footing and kick off the rust. The second match of the season is a London derby away to Tottenham. This is the earliest in a season the Blues have played Tottenham in club history.
The Hotspurs will seek to exploit Eden Hazard’s absence from the lineup. The Spurs may not know what to do without having Hazard around to kick and hack. They will have their fingers-crossed that Chelsea continue the trend of the last two seasons and open the season well off their best form. Antonio Conte’s message to the players to stay fit during the summer break is all the more salient now, Diego Costa’s backtalk notwithstanding.
Must Read: Building the Antonio Conte empire, part 2 of 3: Loan and academy pipelines
Antonio Conte will have little time to enjoy the holidays with his family. Between December 23 and January 1 they play four games: Everton, Brighton & Hove Albion, Stoke City and Arsenal. Everton and Arsenal come to Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea travel to Brighton and Stoke. The away fixture to Brighton will be the first tme Chelsea have visited the Seagulls since 1989, and only the ninth match ever between the two clubs.
After the holiday block, Conte will turn his full attention to one of the most demanding stretches of his career. Sandwiched between the Champions League Round of 16 legs, Chelsea have back-to-back away matches against the Manchester clubs. The club face Manchester United on February 24. One week later they return to the north to visit Manchester City on March 3.
Chelsea will want to secure the Premier League once again before the final two games of the season. Fixtures against Huddersfield Town and Swansea City precede Liverpool and Newcastle United to finish the campaign. Liverpool will be challenging for a top three finish, and Rafael Benitez will be doing more than just surviving in Newcastle’s first season back. Better for Antonio Conte to have nothing riding on those games.
Another match of note is Chelsea’s December 12 fixture against Huddersfield Town. This will be the first league game against the Terriers since 1984, when both were in the second division. Chelsea won the lower league that year, their second-last out of the top flight. The last time Chelsea and Huddersfield met in the top flight was in 1972, a 2-2 affair at Stamford Bridge.
Next: Bournemouth hold the edge over West Brom in John Terry pursuit