Premier League,
Round 1
Fulham
FUL
Chelsea
CHE
-
Venue
- Craven Cottage
-
Referee
- J. Brooks
Preview for Fulham v Chelsea
Chelsea will begin the 2026-27 Premier League season away to Fulham on Monday night, with both West London clubs entering a new era under new managers.
Fulham have replaced long-serving boss Marco Silva with former Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa, while Xabi Alonso takes charge of Chelsea after a disappointing 10th-place finish last season.
Fulham will have to adjust to life without Silva after the Portuguese manager ended his five-year spell at Craven Cottage to return to Benfica.
Arbeloa has been handed a three-year contract and faces a difficult opening test against Chelsea, although Fulham have enjoyed some success in this fixture in recent seasons.
The Cottagers defeated Chelsea 2-1 at Craven Cottage in January, ending a run of just one home victory over the Blues since 2023. They will now be looking for consecutive wins against their local rivals for the first time since the 1970s.
Alonso will therefore be hoping Chelsea’s attacking options can make the difference as he takes charge of his first competitive match at the club.
The Spaniard’s appointment has generated plenty of optimism around Stamford Bridge after Chelsea’s turbulent 2025-26 campaign, which saw the club work under two permanent managers and an interim before finishing 10th.
The Premier League Table
Premier League 2026
England
| # | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Last 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Arsenal |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
W
|
| 2 |
Brentford |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
W
|
| 3 |
Everton |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
W
|
| 4 |
Hull City |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
W
|
| 5 |
Ipswich |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
W
|
| 6 |
Leeds |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
W
|
| 7 |
Aston Villa |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 |
Chelsea |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 9 |
Fulham |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 |
Liverpool |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 |
Manchester City |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 |
Newcastle |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 13 |
Bournemouth |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 |
Brighton |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 |
Sunderland |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
L
|
| 16 |
Nottingham Forest |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
L
|
| 17 |
Manchester United |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
L
|
| 18 |
Crystal Palace |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
L
|
| 19 |
Tottenham |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
L
|
| 20 |
Coventry |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
L
|
- Position 1, 2, 3, 4 : Promotion – Champions League (League phase)
- Position 5 : Promotion – Europa League (League phase)
- Position 18, 19, 20 : Relegation – Championship
Team News for Fulham v Chelsea
Fulham have just one injury concern, with Tom Cairney sidelined with a knee problem. Joachim Andersen will also miss the match as he serves the final game of his three-match suspension.
Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios could make their competitive Fulham debuts, with Garcia expected to lead the attack and Palacios potentially operating as a left wing-back.
Garcia will have pressure on his shoulders following the departures of Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez, who scored 10 and nine Premier League goals respectively last season.
Alex Iwobi is expected to retain his place ahead of summer signing Shea Charles, with the Nigeria international’s creativity and ability to carry the ball likely to be important to Arbeloa’s system.
Chelsea’s Joao Pedro will be looking to build on a 15-goal campaign last season and has already scored seven times during pre-season.
Morgan Rogers has also arrived for a British-record transfer fee and could provide support for Cole Palmer in attacking midfield.
Danny Welbeck faces a late fitness test, while Jordan Henderson and Emmanuel Emegha are unavailable. Wesley Fofana is also suspended following his dismissal on the final day of last season.
Expected line-ups for Fulham v Chelsea
Fulham: Leno; Castagne, Bassey, Cuenca, Robinson; Iwobi, Berge; Bobb, King, Palacios; Garcia.
Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Lacroix, Colwill; Neto, Caicedo, Lavia, Palestra; Palmer, Rogers; Joao Pedro.
ℹ️ Official lineups are not available yet. They are usually announced 20–40 minutes before kickoff, depending on the competition.
Stats for Fulham v Chelsea
- Fulham have won just two of their last four West London derbies against Chelsea.
- Fulham’s 2-1 win in January was their first home victory over Chelsea since 2023.
- Chelsea have failed to score in just two of their last 16 meetings with Fulham.
- Fulham’s last two opening-day wins in the Premier League have both come against London opposition.
- Joao Pedro scored 15 goals for Chelsea last season and has already found the net seven times in pre-season.
- Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League last season, their lowest position since 1995-96.
Where to Watch Fulham v Chelsea: TV and online streams
Fulham vs Chelsea takes place at Craven Cottage on Monday night, and kick-off is at 8pm BST.
Fans in the UK can watch the match on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event.
Prediction for Fulham v Chelsea
Match Prediction
Fulham
Chelsea
Fulham’s recent record against Chelsea suggests this could be a competitive opening-day derby, particularly with Arbeloa taking charge of his first match.
However, Chelsea have greater individual quality across the pitch and should have enough attacking talent to edge what could be a close encounter.
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