When do Chelsea play first after the World Cup?
By Euan Burns
It is soon going to be time for Chelsea fans to tune in and watch their team in competitive action for the first time since mid-November.
The Blues have not had a very enjoyable season so far and they are one of the teams who may have welcomed the break for the 2022 Qatar World Cup more than others.
There is a lot of work for Graham Potter to do if he is to take his team into the top four spots in the Premier League table and he has got a very mixed fixture list coming up in which to get the job started. Chelsea have not won in the league since beating Aston Villa 2-0 on October 16.
Take a look at who Chelsea have got coming up and see if you think they can acquire a decent points haul.
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Who are Chelsea facing first after the World Cup?
Chelsea were one of many big teams who were knocked out of the Carabao Cup earlier in the year, although to be fair to them, it was against Manchester City.
That means that Chelsea fans must wait until December 27 before they take on Bournemouth at home in the Premier League.
It is the sort of match that Chelsea fans and Potter will have wanted to come back to as they certainly have the tools for that to be a fairly straightforward victory at Stamford Bridge. That game is a 17:30 GMT kick-off.
What are Chelsea's other matches after the World Cup?
Chelsea have got a fairly mixed fixture list following the conclusion of the World Cup in Qatar and given their poor form but highly talented squad, it makes the games very hard to predict.
Potter's side follow up the game against Bournemouth with a trip to Nottingham Forest on New Year's day, which could be a tough one if there is a good atmosphere at the City Ground.
Over the following couple of weeks, Chelsea will become sick of the sight of Manchester City as, having been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by them, Chelsea welcome Pep Guardiola's side to Stamford Bridge for a league game before then heading to the Etihad for an FA Cup third round clash.
The west London derby is up next as Fulham take on Chelsea at Craven Cottage before Crystal Palace travel to take on Chelsea. Those two games look like they will need to end in six points for the Blues.
January ends with a game against Liverpool at Anfield which is very hard to predict at this stage.
How have Chelsea done so far?
It has not been a good season for Chelsea so far. They started poorly under Thomas Tuchel and that led to his departure and replacement by Graham Potter.
There was a minor upturn in form for the fans to enjoy, but poor form has settled back in again and now Chelsea sit eighth in the Premier League table with a huge amount of work to do if they are to finish in the top four. They are eight points away from fourth place.