The Blues have been handed the toughest start to the season by far, with the sides now favourite to be in the top-four spots comes season's end (Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham) all facing Ronald Koeman's side in the first five weeks.
Rafael Benitez is looking forward to taking his Newcastle United side to Anfield to face former club Liverpool following the Premier League fixtures release on Wednesday.
The first Manchester derby of the season at Old Trafford is scheduled for December 9, the week after United have travelled to Arsenal, while the first meeting of the campaign between the Red Devils and Liverpool is on October 14.
Elsewhere on the final day, Liverpool host Brighton, Chelsea will travel to St James' Park to face Newcastle and Tottenham face Leicester.
But it could prove a tricky opening few weeks for the defending champions too, with Chelsea hosting Everton (26 August), visiting 2015-16 winners Leicester after the worldwide break and then welcoming Arsenal (16 September). The end of the season is concluded with an away game against Everton and a home tie with Manchester City in May, one of the most hard ends to the season the Saints could have had.
Last season Tottenham played four times away from home after appearing in Europe, therefore only twice at White Hart Lane.
His model must take into account league demands that for every five matches a team must have two home games and three away games, or vice versa and that no club should have two consecutive fixtures home and away - although this is not always possible.
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The new season's fixtures, which were announced yesterday morning, saw Antonio Conte's team given a Stamford Bridge opener on the weekend of August 12/13.
The Gunners ended last season with their manager, Arsene Wenger, signing a new two-year deal: the love-hate affair continues.
Christmas and New Year sees teams lined up to play four matches over 10 days between December 23 and January 1 - Arsenal against Chelsea on New Year's Day looks the pick of the festive matches.
"It is not the world's biggest, best, toughest league by accident". Those two games are sandwiched by a more winnable home tie with Stoke City, before their final three outings against Manchester City (H), Leicester City (A) and Everton (H).
- West Ham have lost more opening-day fixtures than any other Premier League club (10).
- United is unbeaten in its last nine Premier League home games with West Ham (W7 D2 L0) - its last league defeat against the Hammers at Old Trafford was in 2007. Chelsea are the only (likely) direct rival they face in that sequence.
Their last six games in April and May begin okay, with a trip to Brighton before playing host to Watford.
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