Fulham vs Chelsea Preview, Premier League Matchday One
VAVEL.com · Harry Day; VAVEL com · 2026-08-23T22:01:02+00:00 · nguồn gốc
The Álvaro Arbeloa era officially begins in West London on Monday night as Fulham play host to Chelsea, as both teams will look to start their new campaigns off in perfect fashion. Following a transfer window that has seen new arrivals, alongside outgoings, it is yet to be seen what can be expected of this Fulham side this campaign.
For Chelsea, on the other hand, after another busy transfer window, the expectations are high. Now under the leadership of Xabi Alonso, the Blues will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing campaign last time out that sees them with no European football this season.
The last meeting between these two sides at Craven Cottage ended in the home side's favour as goals from Raúl Jiménez and Harry Wilson, a duo no longer at the club, were enough to down Chelsea. With a refreshed optimism, alongside a refreshed squad, the Blues will look to make amends for this defeat on their latest trip across West London.
Team News
Fulham
The Cottagers will be without the service of Joachim Andersen, who is serving his suspension for a red card he picked up at the end of last season, leaving Fulham without an important defender.
Meanwhile, Tom Cairney is also ruled out of this encounter as he continues to recover from the minor surgery he had on his knee over the summer.
Other than that, there are no injuries for Arbeloa to be concerned about heading into this London derby, as fans can likely expect a handful of competitive debuts for the Cottagers
Chelsea
The Blues are also without a player due to suspension, that being Wesley Fofana. The Frenchman is out of contention for this one after he was sent off in Chelsea's final game last season in their defeat to Sunderland.
While Chelsea's starting team are all fit and look pretty set in stone, there are a few fitness concerns for rotation players, including newly-signed Jordan Henderson, who continues to recover from his wrist injury sustained during the World Cup.
Predicted Lineups
Fulham
Leno; Castagne, Bassey, Cuenca, Robinson; Iwobi, Berge; Bobb, King, Palacios; Garcia
Chelsea
Sanchez; Hato, Lacroix, Colwill; James, Caicedo, Fernandez, Palestra; Palmer, Rogers; Joao Pedro
Key Players
Fulham - Antonee Robinson:
Chelsea are likely to dominate possession; that is certainly expected. Fulham's best chance to hurt their opposition will come on the counter, and with Alonso's backline set to operate with wing-backs, there will be space to hurt Chelsea.
Antonee Robinson's pace in particular could cause Chelsea some issues on the transition, with James and Palestra set to find themselves up the pitch quite often. The Cottagers will likely have to bide their time on Monday night, but they certainly have the capacity to deal damage to Chelsea.
Chelsea - Cole Palmer
This season is massive for Cole Palmer. Overlooked by Thomas Tuchel in the summer for the England squad, Chelsea's number ten will be arriving at Craven Cottage with a point to prove.
Palmer has looked sharp in pre-season, especially in Chelsea's final warm-up match against Real Sociedad at the Bridge. It remains to be seen whether Palmer can reach the heights he was once at, but he will be determined to do just that.
Match Details:
Where will the match be played?
Craven Cottage hosts this encounter
What time is kick-off?
This match commences at 20:00 BST
How can I watch?
Sky Sports will be showing this match