Biggest Chelsea Rivalries
Chelsea is one of the most successful football clubs in England. Historically, it is the 6th best-performing team in Europe, based on all-time performance in European competitions. It was a founding member of the Football League in 1888 and won its first league title in 1905.
Currently, Chelsea is also one of six clubs to have never been relegated from the top flight of English football. It has won the League Cup four times and the FA Cup seven times, which is no surprise why sports betting on this club has been a popular take for quite some time.
Chelsea has long-standing rivalries with several other clubs, mainly within the London area; however, its historical rivalry is with Leeds United, against whom Chelsea has contested many notable matches through the years. This makes sports betting a hot topic whenever these clubs clash to seize their glory.
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With that being said, here are Chelsea’s biggest rivals.
North v West London Derby
Chelsea vs. Arsenal
This London derby has been played since the 19th century. It is known for having the most number of red cards in Premier League history. The rivalry between these two clubs has always been there.
The animosity was always present, but it wasn’t until 1996 that the rivalry intensified. When Arsene Wenger was appointed manager of Arsenal and Jose Mourinho was appointed as manager of Chelsea in 2004, thus giving the rivalry a new meaning.
The first match between Chelsea and Arsenal took place in 1907. Since then, it has become one of the biggest rivalries in English football, with both sides meeting over 200 times.
This game is one of the most intense derbies in English football. It has seen memorable moments such as Thierry Henry scoring a late winner against Chelsea in 2006.
Chelsea vs. Tottenham
A local rivalry between Chelsea and White Hart Lane neighbors Tottenham Hotspur, another of London’s most successful clubs
First played in 1909, this derby was originally referred to as the ‘friendly derby’ because of the good relations between fans of both clubs until the 1960s, when violence marred a match at Stamford Bridge.
The rivalry between these two London teams has been going strong for decades, with both sides frequently battling for European qualification and trophies. The rivalry is one of the fiercest in England and is fueled by their mutual dislike of Arsenal, also from London. The two clubs have clashed with each other over 160 matches and counting.
West London Derby
The West London rivalry is a local derby between the two Premier League clubs in West London, Brentford, Chelsea, Fulham, and Queen Park Rangers. Chelsea is situated in South-West London, and the other three are based in the North and North-West of the city.
All four clubs play their home games at Stamford Bridge (Chelsea), Griffin Park (Brentford), Craven Cottage (Fulham), and Loftus Road (QPR).
This derby has been around since 1929 when Fulham played Chelsea at Craven Cottage. Since then, these fixtures have remained popular to watch as they are always highly competitive matches and considered to be some of the most important games for all four teams during the season.
But because of Chelsea’s dominance over the last 10 to 15 years, Chelsea fans don’t find it as fiery compared to other rivals such as Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Arsenal, and Manchester United as the more sought-after matches to watch. But if ever this derby comes down, anyone wise enough would know who to opt for in any sports betting opportunity.
Chelsea’s rivals to look out for
As you can see, Chelsea has quite a rivalry for the affluent areas of London. The big problem for Chelsea fans is that the club is second to West Ham in almost all of the rivalries in London.
Regardless of which derby you come across, any club from the North and West of London is a spectacle to see, may it be the likes of the Tottenham, Arsenal, Brentford, or the like.
With these powers combined, there’s plenty to look forward to in the upcoming seasons. In the next coming years, these big games are unlikely to disappoint.
The Truth
27/02/2024 @ 6:12 am
What a load of old rubbish this article is.
Chelsea were not formed in 1888, were not founder members of the Football League, did not win their first league title in 1905 and are not one of the clubs to never be relegated from the top flight of English football.
In reality, Chelsea were formed in 1905, won their first league title in 1955 and have been relegated on six occasions.
Louie
13/02/2023 @ 8:20 pm
Chelsea vs Millwall is highly regarded as one of the most heated rivalries is English football. We both despise each other