Fulham vs Chelsea kicks off on 24 Aug 2026 at 15:00 EST and 20:00 GMT.
Huge uncertainty surrounds West London Rivals Fulham and Chelsea as both sides enter a new era under fresh management.
After five years at Craven Cottage, Marco Silva left Fulham at the end of 2025-26. Álvaro Arbeloa replaces him. The Spaniard is a relative novice, with only 28 senior managerial games under his belt. His first problem to solve will be the loss of star midfielder Harry Wilson to Leeds.
Getty ImagesChelsea's summers are never dull these days. Xabi Alonso - a former teammate of Arbeloa’s, is the new man at the helm at Stamford Bridge and he's shelled out big money, including a £117m British-record fee for Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa.
Getty ImagesWho have Fulham and Chelsea bought?
A pair of Real Madrid players have followed Álvaro Arbeloa to Craven Cottage, as Gonzalo García and César Palacios were two of the four players brought in from the transfer market this summer. The Cottagers have focused their recruitment on young talents, with 19-year-old Jonah Kusi-Asare, 22-year-old Shea Charles, 22-year-old Gonzalo Garcia and 21-year-old Cesar Palacios arriving.
Alonso's new Blues side have splashed a staggering £333 million on players so far in the transfer window. Morgan Rogers, Valentin Barco, Maxence Lacroix, Geovany Quenda and Marco Palestra are some of the shiny, expensive new recruits. Premier League veterans Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson also arrive to add vast experience.
Getty ImagesKey stats, injuries & suspensions
- Chelsea have won on six of their last eight visits to Craven Cottage (L2), but after losing the last H2H, the Blues are at risk of being beaten in successive meetings at any venue for the first time since 1979.
- Fulham’s Joachim Andersen and Chelsea’s Wesley Fofana carry suspensions over from last season.
Likely XIs
Fulham (4231): Leno; Castagne, Cuenca, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Iwobi; Bobb, King, Kevin; Garcia.
Chelsea (343): Sanchez; James, Lacroix, Colwill; Neto, Lavia, Caicedo, Palestra; Palmer, Joao Pedro
Team news & squads
Fulham vs Chelsea Probable lineups
Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa is without Tom Cairney through injury, while Joachim Andersen is suspended and will play no part in the opener. No probable starting lineup has been confirmed ahead of kick-off, and further updates are expected closer to the match.
Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso faces a longer injury list, with Caleb Wiley, Jordan Henderson, Aaron Anselmino, Mamadou Sarr, Emanuel Emegha and Geovany Quenda all ruled out. Wesley Fofana is suspended and will also miss the trip to Craven Cottage. Chelsea have not yet confirmed their projected XI, and team news will be updated as it becomes available.
Form
Fulham go into the Premier League opener on the back of a mixed pre-season, recording two wins, one draw and two defeats across their last five friendlies. Their most recent outing was a 1-0 victory over VfB Stuttgart on August 15, and they drew 2-2 with Malaga three days before that. A 1-2 loss to Crystal Palace was the low point of their summer schedule. Across those five matches, Fulham scored six goals and conceded six.
Chelsea's pre-season form tells a similar story of inconsistency. Their last five friendlies produced two wins, one draw and two defeats, with a 3-1 win over Real Sociedad on August 15 the most recent result. A 3-0 defeat of AC Milan earlier in the week was the standout performance of their summer, though losses to Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur showed there is still work to do. Chelsea scored 10 goals in those five games and conceded seven.
Head-to-Head Record
Head to Head
The most recent meeting between these two sides ended in a 2-1 Fulham win at Craven Cottage in January 2026, a result that will give the home side confidence going into Monday's fixture. Across the last five Premier League encounters, Chelsea have won twice, Fulham have won twice, and one match has ended level, with each of those wins for Fulham coming at Craven Cottage. Chelsea's most recent away win in this fixture came in August 2025, when they beat Fulham 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.