Chelsea will return from the long international break to a decidedly unforgiving stretch, starting with Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on October 10. Then Xabi Alonso’s side face Everton away, Tottenham Hotspur at home, Liverpool in the Carabao Cup and Manchester United at home – all in 21 days.
That quintet arrives with the Blues languishing in tenth spot, having picked up just seven points from their opening five league fixtures. In every top-flight game they have conceded at least two goals, twelve in total, and were ripped apart 3-0 at Brentford just before the hiatus began.
The individual assignments are not nearly as forbidding as their proximity suggests, which makes the run genuinely precarious. Bournemouth are still searching for their first win under Marco Rose in 17th place, while Tottenham remain rooted to the bottom of the table with two points from a possible 15 under Roberto De Zerbi.
Everton are a harder nut to crack, with David Moyes’ post-successor era side still unbeaten and sitting seventh on nine points. Meanwhile, Manchester United travel to West London on October 31 after being unceremoniously dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Brighton at Old Trafford.
However, the treatment room should be getting stronger, with Moises Caicedo, Joao Pedro and Reece James all recovering at Cobham during the break. Their return would change the complexion of a month that will go a long way toward defining Alonso’s maiden campaign in England.
Anfield Reunion Means Unforgiving Return For Alonso
The draw for the fourth round on September 16 paired Liverpool with Chelsea on Merseyside and immediately made it the tie of the round. Chelsea came from two goals behind to beat Leeds United and qualified after beating Luton Town in the second round.
Liverpool cruised through with a 3-1 win over Tottenham, and Andoni Iraola’s side remain unbeaten on home soil with nine points from five matches. The two clubs were not due to meet until December 5, so the draw has brought the clash forward by five to six weeks.
For Alonso, the occasion will resonate, as he played five distinguished seasons at Anfield. The tie is pencilled in for the week beginning October 26, so it will be his first return to the stadium since taking charge at Stamford Bridge.
The fixture is awkwardly sandwiched between successive Premier League games against Tottenham and Manchester United. So Alonso has to balance rotation with jeopardy, especially after the lack of squad depth was exposed on that crazy night against Leeds.