Wait, who did Chelsea have to play again and how were they doing?

With the Premier League set to return in just a few weeks, it is time for a refresher on who the Blues had left to play for their top four hunt.

It has been a long, long time since Frank Lampard’s Chelsea swatted away Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton. That was all the way back on 8 March and with the Premier League gearing up for its return in the middle of June, it is time for a refresher on who the Blues had left to play and how they were doing before the world went to a standstill.

Aston Villa Away, 19th

Things were (are?) dire at Aston Villa. The side came up with so much hope and promise over Lampard’s Derby County, but hope and promise does not go far in the Premier League. Things were at the point that a loss would likely have cost Dean Smith his job with (maybe) John Terry waiting in the wings on an interim basis.

Chelsea should, key word being should, be able to sweep the Birmingham side away without much fuss. Even with all this time off, the Blues’ quality should see them through over a side that pretty much knows their fate.

Manchester City Home, 2nd

Pep Guardiola’s return will see his side face Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool in quick succession. Liverpool is practically waiting for the day they win the title, but (and this is the biggest but of all time), City could catch up mathematically.

Lampard will want to get the one up on his “former” club though and last time Chelsea pushed City pretty far despite losing. This one could prove important for Chelsea’s own top four hopes so if that means handing Liverpool the title, well, that is the way it will have to be.

West Ham Away, 16th

West Ham is one of those clubs that everyone knows is in the Premier League, but they do not really know how close they are to relegation because it simply is not expected. The Hammers are level with the top of the relegation zone and they are trusting David Moyes to keep them up.

Of course, this being a local derby, anything could happen. Chelsea has struggled more and more against the smaller London clubs in recent seasons and West Ham will want to take advantage of that with their backs against the wall. Lampard will want to one up the former club that disowned him however.