Chelsea already face double fixture change as Enzo Maresca learns Premier League schedule

Chelsea kick off their 2024/25 Premier League season - and life under Enzo Maresca - with the toughest of challenges. Manchester City travel to Stamford Bridge for the first match of the Blues' league campaign.

Pep Guardiola's side won their sixth title in the last seven league seasons last time around as they continued their dominance of English football. Maresca, who was appointed as the new Chelsea head coach earlier this month on a five-year contract, will go up against the man he worked under during City's treble-winning 2022/23 campaign.

Man City await Chelsea first and then it is a trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers the following weekend. At the moment, that match is scheduled for Saturday, August 24, but that is set to be changed later down the line.

Chelsea will be involved in a Europa Conference League play-off tie with the first of two legs set to be played on August 22, just two days before the Blues' trip to Molineux. So the trip to the Midlands is likely to be moved to the Sunday, to allow Chelsea a day more to prepare.

The same is set to happen the week after, as well, with the second-leg of the European qualifier expected to take place on August 29. At the moment, Chelsea are at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday, August 31, but like the week before, it could well be moved to the Sunday to accommodate the Blues' needs.

Meanwhile, should Chelsea progress to the group stage of the Conference League, that will get underway on October 3 and finish on December 19. Matchday one is between two home games for Chelsea, with Brighton a few days beforehand and Nottingham Forest afterwards.

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Matchday two, though, is between two more difficult matches on paper. A trip to Anfield to take on Liverpool is a few days before Chelsea's potential second group game and then it is a return to Stamford Bridge to take on Newcastle United.

The third matchday is sandwiched between a trip to Manchester United and a home match with London rivals and last season's runners-up Arsenal. Then it is a trip to Maresca's former club Leicester City and a home match with Aston Villa either side of matchday four.

Matchday five comes between a trip to Tottenham and a home clash with Brentford. The last group game is following the Brentford match and before a trip to Everton on December 21.