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The opening weekend of the 2026/2027 Premier League season culminates with an exciting West London derby. Fulham hosts Chelsea at Craven Cottage in a clash featuring two new managers and former teammates – Alvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso.
Xabi Alonso will make his official debut at the helm of Chelsea, nearly 100 days after being appointed manager at Stamford Bridge. Interestingly, he faces Alvaro Arbeloa, for whom this also marks his first match as Fulham's manager.
The Cottagers enter the match without the suspended center-back Joachim Andersen and injured midfielder Tom Cairney. Summer signing Gonzalo Garcia is expected to start up front for the hosts, with Bernd Leno, Calvin Bassey, Sander Berge, and Alex Iwobi also featuring in the squad.
For Chelsea, Wesley Fofana is unavailable due to suspension, while Aaron Anselmino and Emmanuel Emegha are nursing injuries. New signing Danny Welbeck is expected to be available but will likely start from the bench. In attack, Alonso might opt for João Pedro, supported by Cole Palmer and club-record signings Morgan Rogers and Pedro Neto.
The Premier League rivalry history shows a significant advantage for Chelsea – 24 wins compared to just 3 for Fulham, with 9 draws. However, the last encounter between the two teams (January 7, 2026) ended in a 2-1 victory for Fulham at Craven Cottage. Prior to that, in August 2025, Chelsea triumphed 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.
In their last five pre-season friendlies, Fulham recorded two wins (1-0 against Stuttgart and 2-1 against Farense), two draws, and one loss. Chelsea also secured two victories in their summer friendlies, including a 3-1 win against Real Sociedad and a 3-0 win against Milan.
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