Image source: Alamy Stock Photo
2026/27 Premier League
Matchday 1
Fulham vs Chelsea
Craven Cottage, London
Monday 24 August, 21:00
West London rivals Fulham and Chelsea will renew their rivalry with a Matchday 1 Premier League meeting at Craven Cottage on Monday 24 August, as both clubs begin new eras under their respective Spanish coaches.
Form and team news
Fulham finished 11th in the Premier League last season, just one point off the European places, as they completed another solid campaign under Marco Silva. However, the Portuguese coach has departed, with former Real Madrid caretaker Alvaro Arbeloa taking over at Craven Cottage.
The Spanish tactician will have several new signings to work with, including Shea Charles (Southampton), Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacion (both Real Madrid), while Fulham have lost the likes of Issa Diop, Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez.
Chelsea finished in a lowly (by their standards) 10th in the Premier League last season, ahead of Fulham only on goal difference. After chopping and changing coaches, the Blues have put their faith in former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid tactician Xabi Alonso.
Chelsea have been very active in the transfer market, spending huge money to bring in Morgan Roger (Aston Villa), Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace), Geovany Quenda (Sporting) and Marco Palestra (Atalanta), as well as veterans Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson – but they have also sold well, parting ways with Marc Cucurella, Andrey Santos and Trevoh Chalobah for notable fees.
Quotes
Chelsea coach Xabi Alonso: “We share a feeling we are doing things the right way and that we are on the right path to success. We know that success is a consequence of good work, of quality decisions, of the good culture that we want to build. That’s the beauty of such a complex but nice process with so many people involved. The potential of the team and the squad made me very excited.”
Head-to-head
In head-to-head stats, Fulham and Chelsea have met in 92 matches dating back as far as 1910. The Blues have claimed 54 wins compared to 12 for the Cottagers, while 26 games have been drawn.
The teams each claimed a home league win over the other last season, with Chelsea triumphing 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in August 2025, while Fulham won 2-1 at Craven Cottage in the return game in January 2026.
Premier League Matchday 1 Fixtures
Friday 21 August
21:00: Arsenal vs Coventry City
Saturday 22 August
13:30: Hull City vs Manchester United
16:00: Ipswich Town vs Sunderland
16:00: Everton vs Crystal Palace
16:00: Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United
18:30: Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur
Sunday 23 August
15:00: Manchester City vs Bournemouth
15:00: Brighton vs Aston Villa
17:30: Newcastle United vs Liverpool
Monday 24 August
21:00: Fulham vs Leeds United
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