Some hard news, finally.
The FA released the upcoming season's fixture list this morning. Chelsea will start away from home for the first time in six seasons. TBA and company will be at the Britannia for no doubt a warm welcome.
Expectations
TBA, if you haven't figured it out, refers to our manager. We don't have one. Still. Hopefully that will be sorted within the next seven or so days. I'm still a tad vexed if you couldn't tell.
Moving on. Our start to the season is similar in look to last. Certainly not easy - as there really are few breezes in this league - but very favorable. Stoke is followed by a pair of home matches, against West Brom (Aug. 20) and Norwich City (Aug. 27). A trip to the Stadium of Light is next (Sept. 10) before our first real epic - United at Old Trafford on Sept. 17. We should have a good understanding of where we stand following our opening five matches - unlike last season.
Boxing Day is home to Fulham, which should be enjoyable. Our run-in is neither comfortable nor brutal in my estimation: Newcastle (H), Arsenal (A), QPR (H), Liverpool (A) and Blackburn (H). If we're in the mix for the title - and we ought to be - I don't mind that quintet.
Below is the full list for the league. Click here to see what a list of fixtures in all competitions may look like.
Chelsea Football Club
2011-12 Barclays Premier League Fixtures
Sat Aug 13 Stoke City A
Sat Aug 20 West Bromwich Albion H
Sat Aug 27 Norwich City H
Sat Sep 10 Sunderland A
Sat Sep 17 Manchester United A
Sat Sep 24 Swansea City H
Sat Oct 1 Bolton Wanderers A
Sat Oct 15 Everton H
Sat Oct 22 Queens Park Rangers A
Sat Oct 29 Arsenal H
Sat Nov 5 Blackburn Rovers A
Sat Nov 19 Liverpool H
Sat Nov 26 Wolverhampton Wanderers H
Sat Dec 3 Newcastle United A
Sat Dec 10 Manchester City H
Sat Dec 17 Wigan Athletic A
Tue Dec 20 Tottenham Hotspur A
Mon Dec 26 Fulham H
Sat Dec 31 Aston Villa H
Mon Jan 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers A
Sat Jan 14 Sunderland H
Sat Jan 21 Norwich City A
Tue Jan 31 Swansea City A
Sat Feb 4 Manchester United H
Sat Feb 11 Everton A
Sat Feb 25 Bolton Wanderers H
Sat Mar 3 West Bromwich Albion A
Sat Mar 10 Stoke City H
Sat Mar 17 Manchester City A
Sat Mar 24 Tottenham Hotspur H
Sat Mar 31 Aston Villa A
Sat Apr 7 Wigan Athletic H
Mon Apr 9 Fulham A
Sat Apr 14 Newcastle United H
Sat Apr 21 Arsenal A
Sat Apr 28 Queens Park Rangers H
Sat May 5 Liverpool A
Sun May 13 Blackburn Rovers H