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Chelsea started the season as Champions of Europe and are the favorites to claim the Premier League title. As the season has progressed, they have only gone and cemented their contendership for the same.
They bought themselves a successful striker in the summer with ex-Chelsea man Romelu Lukaku joining from Inter Milan to strengthen them in the goals department.
The race for the Premier League seems to be trilateral at best, with Manchester City and Liverpool featuring as the fiercest competitors to the Blues.
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Right now, Chelsea are sitting at the summit of the Premier League table with 29 points having only been beaten by Manchester City. The Etihad side are just three points adrift with 26 in second position.
Chelsea's fate in the Premier League title race depends on a few big clashes
The road to the title is still largely untrodden. A strenuous December period awaits where matches come thick and fast and we have seen titles lost and won in the winter before as well.
So it will be a real test for the Premier League favorites to maintain that three-point lead and adding to that lead would be no cake-walk.
Plenty of chances will come when Chelsea get to extend their advantage over their rivals. The Premier League is unpredictable and any team can beat another on their day. However, there are some crunch ties that could favor the Blues in the long run if the result goes in their favor.
Here are five matches Chelsea must definitely win if they want to lift the Premier League title:
#5 West Ham United vs Chelsea
Early in December next month, the Blues will visit the Hammers for the first of the most important fixtures that will come their way. Chelsea will be carrying a little fatigue from the away fixture against Watford on December 2nd and come to the London Stadium on December 4th, 2021.
West Ham have already caused one of the biggest upsets in the Premier League by defeating Liverpool in a pulsating encounter. Under David Moyes' astute management they have put their best foot forward in the Europa League as well, staying unbeaten in four games.
Both teams are good in the air and it would be interesting to see what happens when they attack and defend from set-piece situations. Romelu Lukaku was available on the bench for Chelsea in their latest encounter against Juventus in the Champions League. In all likelihood, he will definitely be back for this fixture.
Lukaku's physicality and frame would be an important asset for Tuchel's side and his contest with former Blues player Kurt Zouma would be interesting to watch. West Ham themselves sit fourth in the Premier League and this game will be important for their top four hopes as well. Hence, the Hammers won't take this one easy either.
#4 Chelsea vs Liverpool
After playing seven matches each in December, the two Premier League giants will meet each other in the New Year on January 2nd, 2022. Chelsea going against Liverpool has always been a mouth-watering clash, and the fact that this will have big repurcussions for the Premier League title only makes it better.
When the Blues visited Anfield in August, the Reds were unable to bag all three points despite Chelsea going one man down towards the end of the first-half. Tuchel's team delivered a resolute performance in enemy territory and fought for a well-earned draw.
It is an advantage for Chelsea as Jurgen Klopp and co. visit, and the home side will want to ensure they make Liverpool regret failing to win the reverse fixture. Liverpool are already dealing with injuries and it will be a real headache for them to manage the workload of their regulars come December.
The Blues have also had their fair share of injuries, but three points in this fixture could prove to be a massive milestone in their Premier League title run.
#3 Manchester City vs Chelsea
Chelsea will feel very lucky that after facing Liverpool in the Premier League they will get a two-week break before taking on Manchester City. Will it still be a top-two fixture come January 15th? That's anyone's guess.
Right now, only three points separate the two sides and the Cityzens have already got the better of their opponents in the reverse fixture.
Last season, Thomas Tuchel maintained a clear grip over Pep Guardiola, beating the Etihad side thrice over the course of a month-and-a-half. It began in the Premier League, then the FA Cup semi-final followed and the last blow, the most vicious of them all, was the Champions League final.
But Guardiola broke the curse with a 1-0 victory in September, and even though on paper the scoreline looked narrow, the fashion of the victory was emphatic. City pressed high, stopping Chelsea's wingbacks from growing into the game and keeping Lukaku away from action.
Tuchel is well aware that a loss at the Etihad Stadium needs to be avoided at all costs. The German saw his strategy disarmed by Guardiola and will have to think outside the box to stop this City side at home in this important Premier League match.
#2 Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur
Two months isn't enough to completely change the fortunes of an underperforming side, especially in the Premier League. Does that apply even if you are Antonio Conte?
We will get to see just how much progress Tottenham Hotspur have made under the Italian in a period of two months when they visit Chelsea on January 23rd.
The reason why this game is going to be interesting is because Tuchel has mastered the 3-4-3 system with Chelsea and he has improved them with this system. Unfortunately for him, no one knows this system better than Conte himself in the Premier League now.
The fiesty Italian led Chelsea to the Premier League title with the help of a 3-4-3 system and he's implemented the same at Spurs. Expect to see a lot of traffic on the flanks and some drama on the touchline as Conte faces his former club.
The north London outfit have got the spirit and intensity back in the dressing room and no Conte side goes down without a fight. Not to mention that the Spurs boss knows all about Lukaku. Let's see how this one pans out.
#1 Manchester United vs Chelsea
Well, Chelsea's next fixture in the Premier League this coming Sunday is against the Red Devils at Stamford Bridge but we are not talking about this one. A fixture that could really have an impact on the top-four and on the Blues' title hopes too will be the one in May 2022. On Matchday 37, Chelsea will visit Old Trafford.
Manchester United are in shambles right now having lost five games from their last seven in the Premier League. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has finally been sacked and Michael Carrick is the caretaker manager. However, the board and hierarchy will soon bring in a deserving candidate to Old Trafford with the hope that he steadies the ship.
The Red Devils are desperate for a coach who can help the players express themselves on the field to the best of their abilities. According to reports, Ralf Rangnick will be unveiled as the interim boss at Old Trafford next week.
If Chelsea can lose a game deep into the Premier League title race, then this is the one. Chelsea would definitely like to avoid getting beaten in the penultimate game of this Premier League campaign.
Will it be possible for them to win the silverware before Matchday 37 arrives? Only time will tell.
