The fixture man clearly likes to see Swansea City suffer a defeat on the opening day of the campaign. In three of our four previous Premier League season’s we have been paired with Manchester City and twice with Manchester United and now today saw the news that we will open 2015/6 with a trip to the champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Not exactly the way I’d choose to start but getting that one out of the way early on may not be a bad thing, plus we have a score to settle with Jose Mourinho’s side after they trounced us last time we met. I live in hope anyway.
Back to back games then with North East duo Newcastle and Sunderland should give us a good chance of early season points and Manchester United’s visit at the end of August looks particularly enthralling.
Two of our bogey teams visit in the next period of games with Everton and Spurs visiting south Wales mixed in with trips to Watford and Southampton respectively.
The game with Arsenal stands out from the next block with the Swans looking to claim their third successive win over the Gunners. This game is preceded by a trip to Villa while the longest trip of the year to Norwich is scheduled for 7th November.
Bournemouth then make their first visit to Swansea for 7 years two weeks later and before the festive season explodes into life Garry Monk’s men have tough trips to Liverpool and Manchester City with Leicester’s visit to the Liberty sandwiched in between.
The traditional Boxing Day game see’s West Brom visit the home of the only Premier League club in Wales and a trip to Palace on 28th is the final fixture of 2015.
There’s no New Year’s Day game this year as it’s a Friday but the Swans head to Old Trafford a day later before the FA Cup starts the following week.
The Jack Army then have the treat of two home fixtures in a week with Sunderland and Watford visiting us before a trip to Everton on 23rd January.
February sees a trip to West Brom once again on a Tuesday night before back to back home games with Palace and Southampton before a daunting double header in North London at Spurs and then Arsenal.
The much anticipated visit to Bournemouth is on 12th March (providing neither side makes FA Cup quarter finals a week before Tim Sherwood brings Aston Villa to south Wales.
The home strait starts with a trip to the footballing hellhole that is Stoke City before then final three daunting home games against Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City on the final day.
Newcastle away is once again in mid-April for the 3rd year running and one sidenote is that our last away game at West Ham will be the Hammers final match at the Boleyn Ground before they move to the Olympic Stadium in 12 months’ time.
All in all I can’t complain too much, there’s isn’t a prolonged run of difficult games and although the final few home games are tough the away one’s around it are not too bad. There’s no stupid mid-week trips (like Sunderland have at our place) although it’s frustrating that Arsenal away will be a night game for the 3rd year running. Being at West ham for their final game before moving will be a special occasion for those that travel and it’s nice to be home on the final day, even if it against Manchester City.
So in just 52 days we start all over again and will once again look to prove the doubters wrong.
Bring it on!