Chelsea begin the Xabi Alonso era with a tricky West London derby against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday.
Match Preview
Chelsea enter the game with plenty to prove after finishing a disappointing 10th in the Premier League last season. The appointment of Alonso has brought renewed optimism around Stamford Bridge, but Monday’s trip to Fulham represents a difficult first competitive test for the former Real Madrid boss.
The Blues have also spent heavily during the summer as they look to rebuild the squad and return to the European places.
Morgan Rogers arrives as the headline signing after his £117 million move from Aston Villa, while Maxence Lacroix, Marco Palestra and Pep Chavarría are among the other additions. Chelsea have also brought in more experience as Alonso looks to give a young squad greater balance.
Fulham, meanwhile, begin another campaign under new manager Álvaro Arbeloa, who will be making his competitive debut in charge. The Cottagers finished just below Chelsea last season on goal difference, meaning there was very little between the two sides over 38 games. Arbeloa has also strengthened his squad with Gonzalo García and César Palacios, both players he knows from his Real Madrid connections.
There is also recent history to make this derby particularly interesting. Fulham defeated Chelsea 2-1 in the corresponding fixture last season, while the Blues won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge earlier in the campaign.
Chelsea still have the stronger overall record in the fixture, but Fulham have shown that they are more than capable of causing problems for their neighbours.
Premier League football returns. 💙#CFC | #FULCHE pic.twitter.com/KZ8p02Ad9y
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 24, 2026
Team News
Fulham are relatively healthy heading into the opener, although captain Tom Cairney is expected to miss the match through injury. Joachim Andersen is also unavailable as he serves the final game of his suspension, leaving Arbeloa with a decision to make in central defence.
Chelsea have more concerns to deal with. Wesley Fofana is suspended, while several players remain unavailable through injury. Enzo Fernández is expected to start despite the recent transfer speculation linking him with Manchester City, while Alonso is likely to hand competitive debuts to several of his summer arrivals.
Alonso has largely favoured a 3-4-2-1 shape during pre-season, and that system could allow Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer to operate behind João Pedro. Reece James could also be used as part of the back three, highlighting the tactical flexibility Alonso will have at his disposal.
Fulham vs Chelsea Predicted XI
Fulham Predicted XI:
Leno; Castagne, Cuenca, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Iwobi; Bobb, Josh King, Palacios; Gonzalo García
Chelsea Predicted XI:
Sanchez; James, Lacroix, Colwill; Neto, Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Palestra; Palmer, Rogers; João Pedro
Score Prediction
Fulham 1-2 Chelsea
