5 Key Premier League Fixtures for Chelsea to Focus on in 2015/16 Season
The Premier League fixtures have been announced for 2015/16, and Chelsea face a difficult start to the defence of their title.
The season will kick off on the weekend of August 8, when Swansea City travel to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea took both games against Swansea last season, beating them home and away in the league. Jose Mourinho will be wary of an upset, though, after Garry Monk's side beat Manchester United on the opening day of 2014/15.
Right after that, Chelsea must travel to the Etihad Stadium for an early encounter with Manchester City before facing West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace to see out August.
Other notable fixtures for Chelsea include their first encounter of the Premier League season with Arsenal in mid-September, while they will also have to negotiate an away trip to Manchester United in the busy Christmas period.
Chelsea's full fixture list can be found on the club's official website, but in the meantime, Bleacher Report whets the appetite by selecting five keys games for Chelsea to focus on in 2015/16.
August 2: Arsenal (Community Shield)
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OK, we said we'd highlight five key Premier League fixtures, so we're breaking the rules (slightly) by discussing the Community Shield matchup with Arsenal in early August.
Little rides on this game in terms of league position and prestige, yet we shouldn't be fooled by its status.
Make no mistake, this is going to be a massive occasion.
Arsenal were making some big noises in the second half of 2014/15 before they eventually gave up the chase with Chelsea, who were too far ahead to be caught.
With the point totals reset at zero, Arsene Wenger's men will want to use their 2015 form as motivation to put up a better fight this time around. They'll be looking to do just that in this game.
Chelsea themselves will need to put down an early marker that they are still the kings of the Premier League.
Jose Mourinho has never lost a game to Wenger, and he doesn't want to start now.
August 15: Manchester City
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Early season encounters between teams hoping to challenge for the title are never pretty.
Neither manager wants to give too much away, and as we've seen too often, they can be low on drama, rarely serving up many memorable moments.
Chelsea and Manchester City face off on the second weekend of 2015/16, and early thoughts are that we can expect the same.
Like that clash with Arsenal in the Community Shield, this is another massive test for Chelsea early in the campaign.
City will be up and at Chelsea. As their rivals last season, Chelsea were a big enough scalp, but arriving at the Etihad Stadium as champions, they'll be even bigger this time around.
This a game Chelsea can't afford to lose, regardless of how early in the season it is.
September 19: Arsenal
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Arsenal appear twice in this slideshow, but for different reasons.
After Chelsea and Arsenal face each other in the Community Shield on August 2, they will lock horns once more in mid-September at Stamford Bridge.
Of course, games of this magnitude are always significant in a team's season, but this matchup will be more important than usual, considering Arsenal's visit to west London comes in the same week the Champions League kicks off.
The first group games of 2015/16 will have taken place a few days before this game. If Chelsea have been playing away, it will impact their preparations.
The reality is, no matter who Chelsea face after Champions League matches, they should always be prepared. With that said, facing a title rival isn't always ideal, especially so early in the year when teams are still fresh and confident.
November 28: Tottenham Hotspur
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Chelsea were blown away at White Hart Lane on New Year's Day in 2015.
So much so that Jose Mourinho used that game to change his entire approach to Chelsea's title push.
The manager didn't want to witness that sort of destruction again and made adjustments to ensure he didn't.
It worked. Chelsea won the title and took control of the Premier League again.
Chelsea will return to the scene of the crime on November 28, and regardless of the fact they beat Spurs 2-0 in the Capital One Cup final, this will be a big-game target.
Winning titles is about setting markers throughout the season and rising to challenges to show that a team is made of stern stuff.
When this game comes around, all the talk will be about that 5-3 win. Mourinho and his players must avoid a repeat and change the conversation.
December 28: Manchester United
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Completing our list of key matchups is Chelsea's trip to Old Trafford on December 28.
It completes 2015 for Jose Mourinho and his players, and so early after the fixture list's announcement, it's difficult to look any further.
By this stage, the Premier League table will be taking shape. The title race will be clearer, as will the race for Europe and the early stages of the relegation battle.
As an early prediction, this is a must-win game for Chelsea.
We can expect United to be stronger opposition after their first season under Louis van Gaal. And with this game coming over the traditionally congested Christmas period, it has the proverbial six-pointer written all over it.
Festive fixtures hold a lot of importance since the games come thick and fast. A good run often puts a team in a position of strength, given the quick turnaround, while points dropped can have the opposite effect.
Chelsea will have faced Watford just two days earlier, meaning they'll have less than 48 hours to prepare.
This is a game both Chelsea and United could have done without, yet the rewards to the victor will be significant.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes.
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