Chelsea
will face a stern examination of their title defence after being pitted
at home to Swansea City on the opening match of the season, with
Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium the champions' next assignment at
the start of the 2015/16 Barclays Premier League season, after the
fixtures were released today.
Jose Mourinho's team sealed
their fourth BPL title by an eight-point margin last season after a
strong start but their mettle will be tested in the early stages of the
2015/16 competition as they also face Everton and Arsenal in their
opening six matches.
Swansea, who finished
2014/15 in a club-record eighth place, opened last season's campaign
with a shock victory at Old Trafford and will be looking to do the same
at Stamford Bridge. In the same fixture last season, Diego Costa scored a
hat-trick in Chelsea’s 4-2 win but only after Swansea had taken the
lead through John Terry’s own goal. The Welsh side were one of only the
two teams to have led at Stamford Bridge last season in the BPL. Swansea
also give good memories for Chelsea because in the reverse fixture last
season, Mourinho’s team swept aside Garry Monk’s side 5-0 at Liberty
Stadium.
Manchester United will face another tricky opener at
the Theatre of Dreams with Tottenham Hotspur their first opponents on
the weekend of 8 August. United will not have long to wait before
meeting traditional rivals Liverpool, either, with the two sides meeting
to Old Trafford on Matchweek 5.
Brendan Rodgers' side have the
opportunity to make immediate amends for last seasons's final-day 6-1
defeat by Stoke City with another trip to the Britannia Stadium on the
opening day, the first time in the Barclays Premier League that a
fixture has been played twice in succession at the same venue. Liverpool
then travel to Arsenal on the third weekend of the campaign in a tough
start with trips to Old Trafford, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea
before November.
The first Merseyside derby takes place on the
weekend of 3 October at Goodison Park, the same matchweek that Arsenal
host Manchester United. Anfield will play host to Everton on the weekend
of 27 February, on the same weekend Arsenal visit Old Trafford.
Louis
van Gaal's charges are at home in the first Manchester derby on the
weekend of 24 October, with the Red Devils visiting Man City on the
weekend of 19 March.
Arsenal, who finished third last season,
open their Barclays Premier League account with back-to-back London
derbies against West Ham United and Crystal Palace and go to Chelsea on
Matchweek 6. Spurs visit Emirates Stadium on the weekend of 7 November,
with the reverse fixture scheduled for the weekend of 5 March.
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