Chelsea’s Nightmare Run-In: Can Maresca’s Men Survive the Premier League Gauntlet?

Chelsea’s road to Premier League glory under new boss Enzo Maresca is off to a fierce and fiery start and the end looks even more punishing. 

After a long summer that included winning the UEFA Conference League and kicking off their Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over LAFC, the Blues have barely had time to breathe. But there’ll be no easing into the domestic season either, with the fixture list for the 2025/26 campaign offering little mercy. 

Chelsea fans will barely leave London in the opening month, but the mileage won’t matter, it’s the pressure that will weigh heavy. Crystal Palace await in the opening game on August 17, followed by an unforgiving run of derbies against West Ham, Fulham, and Brentford. Expect fireworks and fierce battles across the capital. 

Then, on September 20, they head to Old Trafford to face Manchester United, before returning home to face a tricky Brighton side. Just two weeks later, the Blues host Liverpool in a blockbuster clash on October 4 before the season’s first international break. 

As the temperature drops, the stakes rise. November opens with an away trip to Tottenham, and by month’s end, Stamford Bridge will host bitter rivals Arsenal, two matches that could shape the season’s narrative. 

The Christmas period won’t bring much cheer either. A chilly trip to Newcastle precedes a festive fixture at home against Aston Villa, a team that’s grown into a real force in recent campaigns. 

New Year’s Day offers no gifts, just a clash with reigning champions Manchester City. Then comes a flurry of London derbies once again: Fulham, Brentford, Spurs, and West Ham, all squeezed into January’s unforgiving calendar. 

Chelsea’s final two months look absolutely ruthless. 

In April, Stamford Bridge becomes a battleground with back-to-back visits from City and United. Then it’s a trip to Brighton, a team that’s known to disrupt the best. 

Come May, things won’t ease up. The Blues face Nottingham Forest, then Liverpool and Spurs — with the latter likely to have top-four or title implications, before closing the season with a trip to Sunderland on the final day. 

Enzo Maresca may have delivered silverware in Europe, but the Premier League will be a different beast altogether. The start is intense. The middle is chaotic. The end? Brutal. 

The real question Chelsea fans must ask: will this rollercoaster fixture list break them, or build a title-winning legacy?