Date: Monday 24th August 2026
Venue: Craven Cottage
Kick-off: 20:00 BST
Hopefully they’ve saved the best till last as Chelsea get the 2026/27 campaign underway with the battle of the new managers, making the short trip across west London to take on Fulham at Craven Cottage.
For Chelsea fans, there’s a strange and unfamiliar feeling in the air: optimism. Xabi Alonso has arrived, bringing fresh ideas, tactical intelligence, and the radical concept that a football team should perhaps look like it has been coached. After several years of football that felt somewhere between a social experiment and a hostage situation under the Clearlake regime, supporters have at least been given a reason to look forward to games again.
Of course, this is Chelsea, so the excitement comes with a health warning.
While there has been some encouraging business in the transfer market, we’re still left with the same decision-makers upstairs, who have once again apparently concluded that having a proper goalkeeper is more of a luxury than a necessity. The squad has improved, but there are still questions about depth, balance, and whether we can make it through a season without signing three more 19-year-olds nobody had heard of six months ago.
So yes, optimism. But the cautious, battle-scarred kind.
As for tonight’s opponents, Fulham have enjoyed reminding Chelsea that west London isn’t always blue by taking a 2-1 win in the last meeting at the Cottage. Neither side exactly tore up trees in pre-season, meaning this opener is almost impossible to predict.
The only certainty is that Chelsea fans will experience every known human emotion before half-time.
Possible Match Timeline:
7 mins: Chelsea score. Alonso is officially a genius.24 mins: Camera cuts to Alonso looking confused after watching Chelsea attempt to play out from the back.51 mins: Chelsea miss three sitters in 90 seconds.72 mins: Discussion begins about whether the goalkeeper position is actually mandatory.89 mins: Chelsea either score a winner or concede an equaliser. There is no middle ground.
Whatever happens, the new era begins tonight. Chelsea fans are hopeful, Fulham fans are confident, and neutrals are expecting chaos.
Which probably means it’ll finish 0-0.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into today’s game, Fulham’s new manager, Alvaro Arbeloa, says “He [Alonso] is a coach, so we analyse Chelsea like we did with other teams, and like we will do with every team. I know [him] well because I watch so many, many games of his teams, but we know it will be not be easy. They are a very strong squad, with top players, they made also good, good signings, so we have to be ready if we want to beat them. We have to do a very good game.”
New Chelsea manager, Xabi Alonso, meanwhile, says “Football is about mentality, it’s about competitiveness, it’s about going through difficult moments in the game. It’s so important. Starting on Monday, it’s going to be a nice battle.”
SQUAD NEWS
For Fulham, Tom Cairney (knee) is the only player missing through injury, whilst Joachim Andersen serves the last of a three-game ban from last season. New signings Cesar Palacios and Gonzalo Garcia are expected to start, and Shea Charles will likely get a place on the bench.
For Chelsea, Jordan Henderson and Emmanuel Emegha are ruled out and Danny Welbeck faces a late fitness test, whilst Wesley Fofana is suspended.
TEAMS
FULHAM (Possible line-up): Leno; Castagne, Bassey, Cuenca, Robinson; Iwobi, Berge; Bobb, King, Palacios; Garcia
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Sanchez; James, Lacroix, Colwill, Hato; Fernandez, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Rogers; Joao Pedro
LAST SEASON
Fulham 2-1 Chelsea (7th January 2026)
CURRENT FORM (PRE-SEASON)
FULHAM: LDWLDW
CHELSEA: WLLWDW
OTHER STUFF
Fulham have lost 3 of the last 4 London derbies on the opening dayJust 2 of Chelsea’s last 8 managers have won their first game Fulham have won just one opening game of the 6 Chelsea haven’t won their opening game in the last 3 seasonsFulham beat Chelsea in their last meetingChelsea have not lost consecutive games against Fulham since 1977-79
PREDICTION
Sportsmole: Fulham 1-2 Chelsea