Chelsea will face Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on the opening day of the season as they get their second Premier League season underway under Enzo Maresca.
The manager will likely be relieved to not see one of their Champions League rivals up against them on the opening day, after the tough fixture against Manchester City to kick off the 2024/25 season.
Maresca struggled to get fans on board during the City defeat, and faced an uphill battle that he eventually won with his top four finish.
Chelsea faced Palace four seasons ago to get their season underway, with Thomas Tuchel’s side at the time picking up a 3-0 win.
Chelsea supporters predicting Blues to be top after first five Premier League fixtures
After the opening day, the Blues will face West Ham, Fulham and Brentford, before finally leaving London for a trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United.
Chelsea supporters have been left excited by the opening they have to the campaign, with some predicting they will be top of the table after this run of games.
One user said: “Really nice start with London derbies given CWC participation. Tougher end a worthwhile cost given our prep.”
Another added: “We’ve a relatively easy start and end of the season fixtures. Maresca’s Majestic Blues is coming for that title.”
A third claimed: “Wow that means that we are going to top the league for the first 5 matches.”
Another stated: “18/18 points. This is the our TOP and MAIN target.the first 4 fixtures are all in London. That is a great thing.”
Finally, one user said: “Winnable fixtures. 15 points in the bag.”
Maresca facing unique challenge ahead of new season
Chelsea’s presence in the ongoing Club World Cup is set to cause them difficulties going into the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.
The Blues have a chance to win just shy of £100m from the competition, however it could significantly impact their beginning of the new season.
With all of their rivals other than Manchester City currently resting, a lot is being asked of the first team squad who will be without a proper summer break from competitive fixtures.
There will be a reliance on the fitter members of the squad, with Cole Palmer topping training ground tests in the United States.
