A-League fans are to get another chance to witness a Premier League heavyweight up close and personal with Perth Glory announcing a friendly fixture against Chelsea in mid-2018.
The five-times English champions – four in the Premier League era – will travel to Western Australia to play at the new Perth stadium, which is scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2018 AFL season in March next year.
A sell-out crowd is expected at the 65,000-capacity venue for the visit of Antonio Conte’s star-studded squad.
The match, which will be current league leaders Chelsea’s only appearance on their Australian trip, will form part of both clubs’ preparations for their respective 2018-19 campaigns.
The announcement comes just two years after the last time the London club toured Australia, in 2015 when they played and beat Sydney FC.
“This is a very exciting opportunity for Chelsea to play in front of some of our most passionate supporters,” said Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck.
“We were delighted with the reception we received in Sydney when we visited in 2015, and now we can look forward to the same in Western Australia.
“We anticipate an excellent match against Perth Glory in what promises to be a fantastic new venue for the city.”
Glory CEO Peter Filopoulos said it was a great opportunity for sports fans from Australia and the Asia-Pacific region to witness “one of the biggest and best clubs in the world play in our own back yard”.
“This will not only help grow and foster football in Western Australia but will expose Perth Glory’s brand to a new market and millions of viewers and fans around the globe,” Filopoulos said.
Last year Tottenham Hotspur flew the Premier League flag in Australia, contesting the International Champions Cup in Melbourne, while in 2015 Manchester City played in the same competition, also at the MCG.
More than 83,000 fans watched Manchester United play an A-League All-Stars side at ANZ Stadium in Sydney in July 2013, and 95,000 turned out to watch Liverpool beat Melbourne Victory at the MCG just days later.
Arsenal are touring later this year, with back-to-back games against Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers lined up for July.
