Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard admits they face a big title test in the early weeks of the new season.
Lampard is relishing the prospect of locking horns with Liverpool and Manchester United away within a month.
"I know Birmingham are a good team who played really well to get promoted and the enthusiasm of being back in the Premiership makes the first match tricky.
"We found that out at Wigan a couple of seasons ago, when we had to wait until injury time to win the match.
"But the two fixtures that really stand out in the first few weeks are the ones at Liverpool and United.
"It's quite simple. If you're serious about winning the championship then those are the games you have to get results in and so we know what's ahead."
He added: "We played very well in the second half at Old Trafford last season - some of the best football we played all season.
"It was a different story at Liverpool, when it seemed that we were caught cold and lost early goals.
"But Liverpool have had a habit of gaining momentum later in the season this past couple of years so, maybe, playing them in the third match could be a good time."
