Fulham vs. Chelsea: Preview, Predictions and Lineups
Two fresh faces begin their West London managerial journeys with a derby on Monday night, as Chelsea make the short trip to Craven Cottage and take on Fulham.
Compatriots and former Real Madrid teammates Álvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso are the new men at the helm of the Cottagers and Blues, respectively. While Alonso was confirmed as Liam Rosenior’s long-term replacement at the end of last season, Arbeloa took the Fulham job after a short-lived spell succeeding Alonso at Real Madrid.
The new Fulham boss saw out the second half of the season in the Spanish capital and now faces the tough challenge of following in Marco Silva’s footsteps. The Cottagers achieved mid-table stability under the Portuguese after returning to the Premier League in 2022, and are now seen to be taking a punt on an inexperienced manager.
Thus, Fulham have been tipped to endure a tricky season and may even find themselves in the relegation scrap.
Chelsea, on the contrary, hold far loftier ambitions now that Alonso is in charge and wields more power than any of his predecessors since José Mourinho a decade ago. With no European soccer to think about this year, the Blues should also be fresher than their rivals as the season progresses, and they’ll be keen to return to the Champions League in short order.
New SI FC Newsletter Global Embed. Sign Up to Get Informed With SI FC. dark. FREE NEWSLETTER
Fulham vs. Chelsea Score Prediction
Blues Ease to Derby Victory
There are fears for Fulham entering the new season. While much of Silva’s core remains in tact, the former manager was hugely responsible for helping the Cottagers settle in the top-flight after a few years spent yo-yoing between the top two divisions.
And Arbeloa hardly pulled up trees in an admittedly tough Madrid environment earlier this year. It’s hard to discern who exactly he is a coach, and the Premier League certainly isn’t the right place to be learning on the job.
After a relatively slow start to preseason, Alonso must have been encouraged by his side’s conclusion to their summer slate, with club-record signing Morgan Rogers already making an impression. Optimism is bubbling at Stamford Bridge.
- Head-to-head record: Since these two West London rivals first met in 1910, Fulham have won just 14 of the 95 meetings. Chelsea have triumphed 54 times.
- Fulham’s opening day woes: While Chelsea have failed to win each of their previous three opening day games, Fulham have won just one in six.
- Chelsea’s purring attack: Alonso switched to a back three by the end of preseason, and we should see Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and João Pedro make up Chelsea’s attack on Monday night. Palmer’s connection with former Manchester City academy teammate Rogers will be a feature of the Blues under Alonso, and Pedro enters the new season off the back of a productive summer. The Brazilian, snubbed by Carlo Ancelotti for the World Cup, scored seven times in preseason, more than any other Premier League player.
Prediction: Fulham 1–3 Chelsea
Fulham Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea
Joachim Andersen misses out through suspension, having been sent off in Fulham’s defeat at home to Bournemouth at the back end of last season. In his place, Jorge Cuenca should partner Calvin Bassey.
The Cottagers are healthy on the injury front, with stalwart Tom Cairney likely to be the only absentee. “It’s just Tom who is injured,” Arbeloa said in the buildup to the game. “The rest of the players are available and they are working so hard.”
There could be Premier League debuts for former Real Madrid starlets Gonzalo García and César Palacios, and Oscar Bobb should play a more prominent role on the right flank following the summer exit of Harry Wilson on a free transfer.
Sander Berge and Alex Iwobi make up a formidable midfield duo.
Fulham predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Cuenca, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Iwobi; Bobb, King, Palacios; García.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Fulham
Alonso is expected to go with a similar system that brought him so much success at Bayer Leverkusen. However, only one manager (Antonio Conte) has won the Premier League with a back three. The Italian did so with the Blues in 2016–17.
Chelsea have a few more injury concerns than the hosts, and are also without the suspended Wesley Fofana. Reece James is set to start at the heart of Chelsea’s defense alongside new signing Maxence Lacroix and Levi Colwill, who missed much of last season due to an ACL tear.
Enzo Fernández has garnered transfer interest from Manchester City, but he remains a Chelsea player and will be used by Alonso on Monday night.
Emmanuel Emegha could make the matchday roster after recovering from a hamstring injury, as will Danny Welbeck, whom Alonso has confirmed is available to make his official Blues debut.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Fulham (3-4-2-1): Sánchez; James, Lacroix, Colwill; Neto, Caicedo, Fernández, Palestra; Palmer, Pedro, Rogers.
What Time Does Fulham vs. Chelsea Kick Off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Craven Cottage
- Date: Monday, Aug. 24
- Kick-off Time: 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
- Referee: John Brooks
How to Watch Fulham vs. Chelsea on TV, Live Stream
Country | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|
United States | fuboTV, USA Network, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, UNIVERSO, UNIVERSO NOW |
Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network Canada |
Mexico | Max Mexico |
United Kingdom | Sky Go UK, NOW, SKY GO Extra, Sky Ultra HD, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League |
feed. READ THE LATEST CHELSEA NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC