Chelsea: 5 most important fixtures of the 2021/22 season
Matchday 6: Chelsea vs. Manchester City
The league table doesn’t begin to take shape until about matchday 15, but this is a key fixture for the Blues for a number of reasons. The most obvious is the fact that Pep Guardiola and the Manchester City players have a lot to prove after taking three losses from three against Tuchel’s men last season, including a Champions League final loss at the hands of the German tactician.
Pundits have peddled the narrative that, despite playing three different formations and line-ups against Tuchel, Guardiola still didn’t play his best XI in his best formation. They believe that this hypothetical “best line-up and best formation” would beat the Champions of Europe easily. This contest offers Tuchel the chance to show the world that his victories against his opposite number weren’t a fluke at any point.
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The other thing that makes this a very important fixture is the league aspirations of both teams. Chelsea has been involved in a top four battle for the past five seasons. Since the arrival of Tuchel, only the Champions League runners-up picked up more points than his men. This indicates that, had the Blues started the season with the form they kicked into from matchday 20, they may have been in a position to give Man City a run for their Premier League prize money.
Chelsea will strengthen in the transfer window and Manchester City will be expected to do the same. One of the Blues closest rivals for the title—if not the closest—will undoubtedly be Manchester City. Even when it’s early in the season, this fixture be important for Tuchel’s side to set a marker by beating the reigning champions.
Matchday 7: Chelsea vs. Southampton
Chelsea has found it difficult against high-pressing sides ever since the arrival of the Champions League winning manager. The Blues struggled under Tuchel against Southampton, especially when trying to keep up with the intensity. They didn’t create enough chances against Leeds United under the same manager either. They were dominated by Barnsley in the FA Cup fifth round and only won through a clinical Tammy Abraham finish, as well. Brighton is another team that set very good pressing traps for the Chelsea players. Lastly, Leicester City neutralized the Blues’ attack in the FA Cup final.
Chelsea presses as much as any other team, but it’s seemed to struggle against sides that press it with equal intensity. Teams now know that if they work hard enough to deny Chelsea players—especially the attackers—time and space, they can have some success. This game is important because a successful approach to it would provide a template for Tuchel’s boys going into fixtures of this type.