As the Blues continue to get further and further away from Champions League qualification, Chelsea parted ways with manager Liam Rosenior after only 106 days in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea’s Club World Cup triumph and early push in the Premier League title race is nothing more than a distance memory. Since Enzo Maresca’s shock exit on New Year’s Day, the west London outfit crashed out of the Carabao Cup, the Champions League and tumbled down the standings in what has been a woeful second half of the season.
Rosenior, the man tasked with ushering the Blues into a new era, instead only led the team to new lows and paid the price with his job. Chelsea lost their last five league matches without finding the back of the net for the first time since 1912, dropping to seventh in the standings and out of the Champions League places.
There is little hope for the floundering side to climb back up into the top five unless one of Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool crumble in their final fixtures, all while Chelsea win out.
Man Utd, Aston Villa, Liverpool & Chelsea’s Fixtures Compared
| Man Utd (58 points) | Aston Villa (55 points) | Liverpool (55 points) | Chelsea (48 points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brentford (H) – April 27 | Fulham (A) – April 25 | Crystal Palace (H) – April 25 | – |
| Liverpool (H) – May 3 | Tottenham (H) – May 3 | Man Utd (A) – May 3 | Nott’m Forest – May 4 |
| Sunderland (A) – May 9 | Burnley (A) – May 10 | Chelsea (H) – May 9 | Liverpool (A) – May 9 |
| Nott’m Forest (H) – May 17 | Liverpool (H) – May 17 | Aston Villa (A) – May 17 | Tottenham (H) – May 17 |
| Brighton (A) – May 24 | Man City (A) – May 24 | Brentford (H) – May 24 | Sunderland (A) – May 24 |
First up for Chelsea after Rosenior’s exit are the FA Cup semifinals against Leeds United on Sunday. They then do not return to league action until Monday, May 4 against Nottingham Forest. The Tricky Trees will be desperate for points to fend off relegation, making what should be an easy matchup for the Blues anything but.
The big challenge, though, comes at Anfield five days later. Chelsea had the edge in the reverse fixture back in October, but they now are coming up against a Liverpool side scrapping for a place in the Champions League. Despite their struggles this season, Arne Slot’s men will view their west London opponents as prime for the taking.
Next comes a bout with Tottenham Hotspur, who are fighting for their lives in the Premier League. Both teams are wildly out of form, which could make for a chaotic outing at Stamford Bridge before Chelsea cap off their tumultuous 2025–26 season away at Sunderland.
Man Utd, who went 10 points clear of the Blues after their 1–0 victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, are gearing up for two tough matches against Brentford and Liverpool. Chelsea’s downfall opens the door for the Bees to potentially qualify for Europe, giving Keith Andrews’s side extra motivation for its trip to Old Trafford.
Liverpool, meanwhile, will be hungry for revenge after Harry Maguire bagged a late winner for the Red Devils in the reverse fixture at Anfield. Should Man Utd get past both opponents, they will all but secure their place in the Champions League next season by the time they face Sunderland.
Then Nottingham Forest make their way to the Theatre of Dreams for what should be a routine outing for Michael Carrick’s men before they close the season out against Brighton & Hove Albion, the team who eliminated the Red Devils from the FA Cup in January.
Like Chelsea, Aston Villa are still juggling two competitions. Unai Emery’s men face off with Fulham at the weekend in Premier League action before they turn their attention to the the Europa League semifinals against Nottingham Forest.
Wedged between the European fixtures is a battle with a dreadful Spurs side that has not won a Premier League game in 2026. Burnley should pose little threat as well, considering they are on their way to relegation.
Positive results against the struggling sides would give the Villans the cushion they need ahead of their final two fixtures against Liverpool and Manchester City. Aston Villa will hope to avoid a nightmare scenario in which they need to win one or both games to secure their place in the Champions League next season.
Chelsea’s decline in form takes massive pressure off a Liverpool side clinging to the final Champions League place. Still, a tough road lies ahead for the defending English champions.
Crystal Palace, who have been a thorn in Liverpool’s side over the last few years, are the easiest challenge before Slot’s men take on Man Utd at Old Trafford, a venue they have only won one fixture at since 2022.
The Reds then continue their run against teams in the top half of the table with matches against Chelsea and Aston Villa. A lopsided win against the Blues would give Liverpool a mountain of confidence for their trip to another ground that haunts them—Villa Park.
Brentford travels to Anfield on the final matchday, looking to play spoiler on what will be an emotional day for Mohamed Salah, who will play his final game in a red shirt that afternoon.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Chelsea’s Fixtures Compare to Man Utd, Aston Villa & Liverpool After Rosenior Firing.
