Premier League announce four Chelsea fixture changes as Xabi Alonso faces festive schedule challenge

According to a report by Football London on Monday, October 19, 2026, the Premier League has announced four fixture changes involving Chelsea, presenting head coach Xabi Alonso with a demanding schedule during the festive period.

The Blues will face Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Manchester City and Aston Villa in four matches selected for live television coverage in the United Kingdom during the first three weeks of December.

Chelsea will begin the revised schedule by hosting Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, December 2. The encounter will kick off at 7:30pm and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.

The west London club will welcome Liverpool to the same venue three days later, with the match scheduled for 12:30pm on Saturday, December 5. TNT Sports will provide live coverage of the Premier League contest.

Alonso’s team will then travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City on Saturday, December 12. The match will start at 5:30pm and will be shown live on Sky Sports.

The fixture will attract attention because of the reunion involving former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca and midfielder Enzo Fernandez, although the circumstances surrounding their respective roles will shape the interest in the encounter.

Chelsea’s fourth televised fixture will be against Aston Villa, with the Blues initially scheduled to host the Birmingham club on Monday, December 21, at 8pm.

However, the Premier League could move the match to Saturday, December 19, with kick-off at 8pm, depending on whether either club reaches the latter stages of the Carabao Cup. Sky Sports will also broadcast the encounter.

The adjustments have been made as European competitions continue during the same period, with the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League creating additional scheduling demands for clubs involved in continental football.

Alonso has already acknowledged the challenge of managing Chelsea through the busy Christmas period, explaining last month that the squad would continue working together throughout the festive season.

The Spaniard said the club had already spent time together and would have further opportunities to work during the extended international break in October. He also stressed that the number of matches meant the players would not have a Christmas break.

Alonso previously discussed the demands of English football while playing for Bayern Munich in October 2015. The former midfielder highlighted the Premier League’s intense schedule and the absence of a traditional winter break.

At the time, he pointed to his experience of the winter break in Germany and described the English top flight as particularly demanding compared with other leagues.