Chelsea begin their 2025/26 Premier League campaign with a meeting against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Both Enzo Maresca and Oliver Glasner will be confident coming into this Premier League clash, having guided Chelsea and Crystal Palace to the FIFA Club World Cup and the FA Community Shield respectively in recent weeks.
The London derby – officiated by the unpopular Darren England – also represents a chance for Crystal Palace to reunite with Trevoh Chalobah after his loan spell at Selhurst Park last season, where he made a strong impression.
What Oliver Glasner said about Trevoh Chalobah after Chelsea recalled the defender
The England international made 12 Premier League appearances for Crystal Palace last season – scoring three goals – before Chelsea called him back in January.
Upon his departure from south London, Chalobah – who West Ham admire – was praised by Glasner, who was quoted by the Standard as saying: “Trevoh had a great time with us.
“I want to say thanks to Trevoh for his professionalism and for what he invested. He is a very good player and an even better human. We had a great time together and I wish him all the best at Chelsea.”
While Chalobah largely impressed with his defensive contribution, his record of three goals in 12 games for Crystal Palace is a fine return for a central defender, and means Glasner will have to be wary of the Chelsea No.23 on Sunday.
What Trevoh Chalobah said about Crystal Palace upon leaving
The 26-year-old seemed to enjoy his time at Selhurst Park immensely.
Writing on X (previously known as Twitter) after being recalled by Chelsea, Chalobah stated: “It was short and sweet, but this club made such an impact on me so quickly.
“I was made to feel at home from day one, from the staff, teammates, community and you the supporters. The atmosphere at Selhurst was a vibe every single game. Thank you all!! Trev.”
Chalobah had initially been frozen out by Maresca at Chelsea, so the man born in Freetown did tremendously well to work his way back into the side by knuckling down at Crystal Palace.
Discussing that period, he said: “I waited patiently, didn’t sulk, didn’t feel sorry for myself but got myself ready and I’m here (at Crystal Palace). With football, challenges have to come… When things aren’t going your way, you’ve got to be really strong.”
Chalobah is now a regular at the back for Chelsea, and deserves huge credit for his conduct in winning over Maresca.