Chelsea's first six fixtures compared to Premier League rivals
Chelsea reached unfathomable lows in 2022/23 as they finished 12th with a poultry 44 points despite spending just shy of £600m in the 2022 summer and 2023 January transfer windows.
Life in west London has started woefully for Todd Boehly and his scattergun approac but he reassured supporters at the start of May that they were "going to figure it out". The first major step taken by the new owners since Graham Potter's departure was made official after their dire season, with former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino being appointed as manager.
A summer clear-out is in order at Stamford Bridge, but there's reason for optimism with Poch at the helm. Time and patience is necessary among the fanbase and hierarchy, but the Argentine could be the man to lead a successful long-term project in west London.
Poch, however, will only be thinking about the here and now. Here's how Chelsea open up the 2023/24 Premier League season, and how their schedule compares to their rivals.
Chelsea's first six fixtures
Chelsea's torrid season means expectations will be somewhat tempered heading into 2023/24. A title charge is currently beyond the Blues, but a push for a top-four spot is within their reach should Poch hit the right notes early.
The new boss has been aided by a kind opening to the new season after Chelsea host Liverpool on Matchday 1. The Blues have winnable encounters against West Ham, Luton, Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth before they host Unai Emery's Aston Villa on Matchday 6.
The Villans beat Chelsea 2-0 in the corresponding fixture last season.
Nevertheless, Poch has a great chance to pick up a healthy supply of points early on.
Date / Kick-off Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
13/08/2023 / 16:30 | Chelsea v Liverpool |
19/08/2023 / 15:00 | West Ham v Chelsea |
26/08/2023 / 15:00 | Chelsea v Luton |
02/09/2023 / 15:00 | Chelsea v Nottingham Forest |
16/09/2023 / 15:00 | Bournemouth v Chelsea |
23/09/2023 / 15:00 | Chelsea v Aston Villa |
Arsenal's first six fixtures
Arsenal's aspirations transcend a mere top-four finish after they spent just shy of 250 days at the top of the Premier League table last season before faltering down the stretch.
Supporters will be expecting another title charge.
The Gunners, who completed the double over Chelsea last season, have once again been aided by a soft start to the new campaign. While they take on Manchester United and host the first north London derby of the season within their first six games, Arsenal also face Crystal Palace and Everton on the road.
If Mikel Arteta's side are to usurp City at the summit, they must attain close to maximum points from these games.
Date / Kick-off Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
12/08/2023 / 12:30 | Arsenal v Nottingham Forest |
19/08/2023 / 15:00 | Crystal Palace v Arsenal |
26/08/2023 / 15:00 | Arsenal v Fulham |
02/09/2023 / 15:00 | Arsenal v Man Utd |
16/09/2023 / 15:00 | Everton v Arsenal |
23/09/2023 / 15:00 | Arsenal v Tottenham |
ALL THE KEY DATES FROM THE 2023/24 PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURE RELEASE
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Liverpool's first six fixtures
Liverpool weren't quite as bad as Chelsea in 2022/23, but their disappointing season culminated in a fifth-place finish and Europa League football.
The Reds visit Stamford Bridge on the opening weekend of the season and neutrals will be hoping this affair isn't as drab as the two they played out last term. Their home opener is against Bournemouth the following week before they take on Newcastle at St James' Park and host Villa in two tough games.
Liverpool's opening is expected to conclude with wins at Wolves and against West Ham at Anfield.
Date / Kick-off Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
13/08/2023 / 16:30 | Chelsea v Liverpool |
19/08/2023 / 15:00 | Liverpool v Bournemouth |
26/08/2023 / 15:00 | Newcastle v Liverpool |
02/09/2023 / 15:00 | Liverpool v Aston Villa |
16/09/2023 / 15:00 | Wolves v Liverpool |
23/09/2023 / 15:00 | Liverpool v West Ham |
Newcastle's first six fixtures
Eek. The random fixture generator was not kind to the Magpies. Instead, it's a gauntlet of an opening sequence.
Newcastle's first four fixtures of the 2023/24 season are, without question, the toughest in the division. Unai Emery's upstart Villa visit St James' on the opening weekend before Eddie Howe's side take on Manchester City at the Etihad and host Liverpool in their next two.
A trip to Brighton follows to round off their horrible start. Brentford are rarely a pushover and they visit Tyneside on Matchday 5 before respite is finally earned the following week when they visit the newly-promoted Sheffield United.
Date / Kick-off Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
12/08/23 - 17:30 | Newcastle vs Aston Villa |
19/08/23 - 15:00 | Man City vs Newcastle |
26/08/23 - 15:00 | Newcastle vs Liverpool |
02/09/23 - 15:00 | Brighton vs Newcastle |
16/09/23 - 15:00 | Newcastle vs Brentford |
23/09/23 - 15:00 | Sheffield United vs Newcastle |
Tottenham's first six fixtures
There might not be a manager in the Premier League who required a kind start to the season more than Ange Postecoglou. It'll take time for his ideals to translate over to the Tottenham squad and a difficult acclimatisation period should be expected early.
Spurs' start is certainly a mixed bag. Brentford away on the first Sunday of the season is not the friendliest of fixtures and Postecoglou's side also face United and Arsenal in their first six games. However, their other three encounters - Bournemouth (A), Burnley (A) and Sheffield United (H) - are winnable.
The big man needs points early doors to get the fanbase onside.
Date / Kick-off Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
13/08/2023 / 14:00 | Brentford v Tottenham |
19/08/2023 / 15:00 | Tottenham v Man Utd |
26/08/2023 / 15:00 | Bournemouth v Tottenham |
02/09/2023 / 15:00 | Burnley v Tottenham |
16/09/2023 / 15:00 | Tottenham v Sheffield Utd |
23/09/2023 / 15:00 | Arsenal v Tottenham |