Traditionally it's the holders that kick-off the season although Brighton v Man City would be a better choice or even Newcastle v Spurs
As I'm bored and not really doing much, here's Chelsea opening fixtures since the PL began: 92/93: Oldham Athletic (H) - drew 1-1 93/94: Blackburn Rovers (H) - lost 2-1 94/95: Norwich City (H) - won 2-0 95/96: Everton (H) - drew 0-0 96/97: Southampton (A) - drew 0-0 97/98: Coventry City (A) - lost 3-2 98/99: Coventry City (A) - lost 2-1 99/00: Sunderland (H) - won 4-0 00/01: West Ham United (H) - won 4-2 01/02: Newcastle United (H) - drew 1-1 02/03: Charlton Athletic (A) - won 3-2 03/04: Liverpool (A) - won 2-1 04/05: Manchester United (H) - won 1-0 05/06: Wigan Athletic (A) - won 1-0 06/07: Manchester City (H) - won 3-0 07/08: Birmingham City (H) - won 3-2 08/09: Portsmouth (H) - won 4-0 09/10: Hull City (H) - won 2-1 10/11: West Bromwich Albion (H) - won 6-0 11/12: Stoke City (A) - drew 0-0 12/13: Wigan Athletic (A) - won 2-0 13/14: Hull City (H) - won 2-0 14/15: Burnley (A) - won 3-1 15/16: Swansea City (H) - drew 2-2 16/17: West Ham United (H) - won 2-1 17/18: Burnley (H) Home record: P16-W12-D3-L1 Away record: P9-W5-D2-L2 Overall: P25-W17-D5-L3 Haven't lost on opening day since 1998 though, fair play.
For comparison, here's our opening fixtures over the same period... 92/93: Stoke City (H) - won 1-0 93/94: Barnet (A) - won 2-1 94/95: Oxford United (A) - lost 4-0 95/96: Swindon Town (H) - lost 1-0 96/97: Darlington (H) - won 3-2 97/98: Mansfield Town (A) - lost 2-0 98/99: Rotherham United (A) - lost 3-1 99/00: Exeter City (A) - lost 1-0 00/01: Blackpool (A) - lost 3-1 01/02: Exeter City (A) - won 3-1 02/03: Southend United (H) - drew 2-2 03/04: Darlington (H) - won 4-1 04/05: AFC Bournemouth (H) - won 1-0 05/06: Drama Queens Park Rangers (H) - drew 0-0 06/07: West Bromwich Albion (A) - lost 2-0 07/08: Plymouth Argyle (H) - lost 3-2 08/09: Fulham (H) - won 2-1 09/10: Chelsea (A) - lost 2-1 10/11: Swansea City (H) - won 2-0 11/12: Blackpool (H) - lost 1-0 12/13: Brighton and Hove Albion (H) - won 1-0 13/14: Chelsea (A) - lost 2-0 14/15: Drama Queens Park Rangers (A) - won 1-0 15/16: Huddersfield Town (H) - won 2-0 16/17: Leicester City (H) - won 2-1 17/18: TBA Home record: P14-W9-D2-L3 Away record: P11-W3-D0-L8 Overall: P25-W12-D2-L11
I was at the first 3 - remember a 'bumper' crowd of around 9k for the Stoke match and think we scored the first goal of the entire league season at Barnet. Seem to recall Oxford was 4-0 at half time. Think I did 16 of them all but none of the last 4.
As I thought Chelsea have been at home 17 out of the last 26 or 65% I bet few clubs can match 65%....Its bent..I tell you. We've been at home 14 out of 25 which is 56% which suggests we'll be away this time around..
Just seen Udders first 6 fixtures: Palace Newcastle Saints West Ham Lester Burnley What a dream start. Last 4 are: Chelsea Everton Citeh Arsenal.
Nice start, get a few points on the board....Not a great end.. Reminds me of Norwich a few season ago. They had a nice start, including us (2nd game) but had to play the top four in the last four games and went down...
What a great day the Darlington game was In 03/04, heat wave and the start of something good, remember it like it was yesterday
Indeed, we just swatted them away. It was effin boiling, didn't Hinds have to go off suffering from heat stroke? Had such good hopes for Alton Unwell after that. Recall Reynolds going mental at their manager in the tunnel post match, what a tool he was.
If memory serves me right didn't Unwell score in that game...Jason Price scored 2 maybe and Danny Allsop scored or was that the other way around. Remember it was 1-1 at half time or just after..
Burgess, Price, Thelwell and Allsopp scored one each. I liked Thelwell, it's a shame he wasn't available/fit often enough.
I remember going straight out after on an unplanned piss up , back in the days when I could do that before marriage ... Good times
Apart from the very odd occasion, same here. Although, even though they don't get particularly covered, I could same the same about the other divisions too (in terms of my interest). It's only the odd bet that makes me pay attention, in the main, anyway.
BBB a very under rated player. Like him a lot. I recall the peach he scored vs Scunny in the same season. A precise curving shot into the bottom corner from the corner of the box.
Only interested in us. Kinda funny reading Everton fans bleating about their first 5 games being a conspiracy against them. Almost like it's news to them that they play every other team twice in a season.