Chelsea fixtures: Next six games after Brighton defeat
By Euan Burns
Chelsea's dire season continued as Frank Lampard picked up the third defeat of his interim reign with a 2-1 loss to Brighton on Saturday afternoon at Stamford Bridge.
An early Conor Gallagher goal looked to have set up Blues supporters up for a good afternoon but Danny Welbeck's equaliser before half time and Julio Enciso's screamer from distance gave the Seagulls a deserved victory.
Unfortunately for Chelsea fans, the games continue to come thick and fast. Here's who they've got coming up in the next month or so.
Chelsea vs Real Madrid - Champions League
Now this would be something. If this particular iteration of Chelsea manage to get into the Champions League semi-finals after losing 2-0 to Real Madrid in the first leg, we may as well all pack up and go home.
It would certainly be one of their most famous nights in Europe but unfortunately for the fans it just seems like an impossible situation. Real Madrid have a way of getting over the line in the Champions League and the most likely outcome is a calm display from Carlo Ancelotti's side that ends with them heading into another semi-final.
- 18/04/2023 - Chelsea vs Real Madrid (20:00) - BT Sport
Chelsea vs Brentford - Premier League
The tough games just keep coming for Chelsea and Lampard this season which is why it is so important for him to work out who he wants in each starting XI position early.
It must be a very daunting task to have so many players to choose from, but he may need to get ruthless as the chopping and changing didn't work for Graham Potter and it almost certainly won't work for Lampard.
Brentford will absolutely back themselves to get a result at Stamford Bridge even as the away team. They are well-drilled and work hard for 90 minutes, something that cannot be said for Chelsea right now.
- 26/04/2023 - Chelsea vs Brentford (19:45) - BT Sport
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Arsenal vs Chelsea - Premier League
In what is arguably the toughest game you can play in the Premier League right now, there will be a lot of Chelsea fans getting very swept away with the idea that they can scupper Arsenal's Premier League title challenge with a result at the Emirates.
While weirder things have happened in football, the idea of Chelsea turning enough of a corner in a handful of tough games that they could then beat Arsenal at the Emirates seems fanciful at this stage.
Big games can bring big performances, but Chelsea won't have gone to the Emirates as underdogs to this extent for a very long time.
- 02/05/2023 - Arsenal vs Chelsea (20:00)
Bournemouth vs Chelsea - Premier League
Lampard could find himself looking forward to this trip to Bournemouth given the incredibly tough run of games Chelsea have in the run-up to it. That being said, going away to teams who are in the relegation battle at this stage of the season has its own risks.
The Cherries have been showing some signs of life in recent weeks and they have a performance in them every now and then, as seen by their win at Spurs. Chelsea will need to be professional and try to kill the game off quickly at the Vitality.
- 06/05/2023 - Bournemouth vs Chelsea (15:00)
Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea - Premier League
Much like the Bournemouth match, this is one that Chelsea will have a much better chance of winning but it comes with its concerns. There are a number of players in the Nottingham Forest squad that can produce something from nothing.
The same can be said for Chelsea. Lampard should have a much better view of his squad by this point and some partnerships on the pitch may have begun to form. It remains to be seen what shape he delivers Chelsea to this game in.
- 13/05/2023 - Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea (15:00)
Manchester City vs Chelsea - Premier League
The two games against teams at the bottom of the table offer Chelsea the chance to come into this incredibly tough away game with Manchester City with some sort of momentum.
Having so recently been away to Arsenal, Chelsea will continue to have quite a big role in the Premier League title race as they look to inadvertently do Arsenal a favour. Lampard will have learned something from how his team played against Arsenal but this will be a really tough assignment regardless.
- 20/05/2023 - Manchester City vs Chelsea
- 18/04/2023 - Chelsea vs Real Madrid (20:00)
- 26/04/2023 - Chelsea vs Brentford (19:45)
- 29/04/2023 - Arsenal vs Chelsea (16:30)
- 06/05/2023 - Bournemouth vs Chelsea (15:00)
- 13/05/2023 - Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea (15:00)
- 20/05/2023 - Manchester City vs Chelsea