Chelsea: Here’s why Blues fans should pay attention this week
Chelsea doesn’t play until Sunday, so how do the rest of the week’s Premier League matches impact the Blues in the table?
The Premier League returns today and although Chelsea fans are forced to wait until Sunday to watch their team take the pitch, that doesn’t mean impactful football won’t be played. There are a total of twelve matches between today and Monday, June 22, with a majority having some effect on the Blues’ league position.
Chelsea is fighting to secure a Champions League place with multiple teams within striking distance. Therefore, Blues fans should keep an eye on the opening weekend’s fixtures while they wait for Chelsea to resume its top four campaign. Football is on nearly every day from now until the end of July, the stakes are going to be high and there are multiple teams Chelsea needs to watch out for.
Both of the matches on opening day should come of some interest to Blues supporters. The first match of the Premier League restart is Aston Villa vs. Sheffield United. Aston Villa is Chelsea’s next opponent, so fans will want to look out for what the Villains bring to the table. On the other hand, Sheffield is currently the biggest threat to Chelsea’s fourth place position. The Blades will bring themselves within two points of the Blues with a win.
Further, Manchester City hosts Arsenal. Chelsea fans are always hoping for an Arsenal loss, but three points for the Gunners wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. The Blues sit nine points back of City with nine matches to play. It’s an unlikely margin to make up, but it’s doable. Friday’s massive match between Manchester United and Tottenham is another one Chelsea faithful will keep a close eye on. A Spurs loss would all but see their top four hopes come crashing down, but with a win, United inches closer to the Blues. Either way, that game has its positives and negatives regardless of the result.
Saturday features two other massive matches and another Arsenal appearance. There’s no conflict in rooting for Brighton to capture three points from the Gunners at The Amex. Meanwhile, the Blues are going to cross their fingers and hope close proximity rivals West Ham and Watford can take care of business. They have Leicester City and Wolves respectively, two of the teams scrapping for a ticket to Europe against the west London side. The Blues have some catching up to do if they want to catch the Foxes. Luckily for Chelsea, Leicester was in poor form heading into the break.
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Finally, Sunday is the big day. Get to your television a bit early to watch Sheffield once more before the Blues return to action. Surely every result won’t go Chelsea’s way, but there is always a reason to hope. If nothing else, sit back and be glad the Premier League is back. The Blues may not play until Sunday, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of reasons to watch the matches in between.