Overview
Fulham and Chelsea will both open a new chapter when facing at Craven Cottage in the first round of the 2026-2027 Premier League.
Marco Silva left Fulham after 5 years of attachment to move to Benfica. Replacing him is Alvaro Arbeloa, former interim coach of Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Chelsea placed their trust in Xabi Alonso after the disappointing 2025-2026 season in 10th place.
Alonso became the 27th coach to lead Chelsea in the Premier League, more than any other club in the history of the league. However, the Spanish coach will face pressure from the first match.
Among the last 8 Chelsea coaches, only Graham Potter and Liam Rosenior won their Premier League debuts.
The Blues entered the new season with a almost completely different appearance. 11 new players have arrived at Stamford Bridge, of which Morgan Rogers is the most notable deal. Besides his youth, Alonso also has more experience from Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck.
The huge number of personnel becomes another problem. Chelsea currently has about 40 first-team players and may have to part ways with up to 12 before the transfer window closes. Alonso understands that building a balanced team will take time.
Fulham is also starting a new journey. Arbeloa is taking advantage of his relationship with Real Madrid to bring Gonzalo Garcia and Casar Palacios to Craven Cottage. These two young players are expected to fill the void left by Raul Jimenez and Harry Wilson.
Fulham's problem is not simple at all. The London team has just lost two pillars under Silva, and must adapt to the new philosophy. However, home form is a significant support. In 2026, Fulham won 6 matches at Craven Cottage, only behind Manchester United in terms of home wins in the Premier League.
Chelsea again encountered some personnel problems before the match. Wesley Fofana was suspended after a red card in the last round of last season. Henderson and Emmanuel Emegha have not reached their best physical condition, while Welbeck also leaves open the possibility of playing. Fulham does not have Tom Cairney due to injury and Joachim Andersen continues to serve a suspension.
The two teams have the same points last season but enter the new season with very different stories. Chelsea is aiming for a large-scale reform under Alonso, while Fulham must prove that they can maintain their position after parting ways with Silva.
Head-to-head record
In the most recent meeting between the two teams, Fulham won 2-1, with goals from Jimenez and Wilson.
If Fulham wins another victory, this will be the first time they have won 2 consecutive matches against Chelsea since a 3-match winning streak (April 1977 to October 1979).
However, Fulham only won the opening match in one of their last six Premier League seasons. That was a 1-0 victory over Everton in the 2023-2024 season.
Chelsea's opening day performance was also very poor. They have not won the opening match in the last three seasons (2 draws, 1 loss).
Predicted score: Fulham 0-2 Chelsea
The match between Fulham and Chelsea takes place at 2:00 AM on August 25 (Vietnam time).
