Chelsea took just 31 seconds to score their first goal under Xabi Alonso after making a lightning start against Fulham.
Joao Pedro chipped the Blues in front inside a minute at Craven Cottage after being played through by Cole Palmer following a long header forward by Levi Colwill.
Watch Pedro’s opener below:
Chelsea are hoping to improve on a disappointing 2025-26 season, which saw them slump to a disappointing 10th.
Alonso was appointed was the Blues manager over the summer, having previously managed Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid.
Fulham are also starting the season with a new man in the dugout, with Alvaro Arbeloa replacing Marco Silva.
Fulham confirmed starting team vs Chelsea
Two of Fulham’s new signings start, with Cesar Palacios in midfield and Gonzalo Garcia in attack.
Midfielder Shea Charles, who signed for £30 million from Southampton earlier this month, is on the bench.
Fulham starting XI: Bernd Leno, Timothy Castagne, Calvin Bassey, Jorge Cuenca, Antonee Robinson, Sander Berge, Alex Iwobi, Josh King, Oscar Bobb, Gonzalo Garcia, Ezequiel Palacios
Fulham substitutes: Benjamin Lecomte, Kenny Tete, Harrison Reed, Rodrigo Muniz, Kevin, Shea Charles, Ryan Sessegnon, Emile Smith Rowe, Luc de Fougerolles
Chelsea full line up vs Fulham
Midfielder Morgan Rogers and defender Maxence Lacroix make their competitive debuts for Chelsea.
Fellow newcomers Mike Penders, Pep Chavarria, Valentin Barco, Geovany Quenda and Danny Welbeck are on the bench, as is Enzo Fernandez, who is being heavily linked with a move to Manchester City before the transfer window shuts on September 1.
Chelsea starting XI: Robert Sanchez, Josh Acheampong, Maxence Lacroix, Levi Colwill, Malo Gusto, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, Jorrel Hato, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Joao Pedro
Chelsea substitutes: Mike Penders, Pep Chavarria, Valentin Barco, Enzo Fernandez, Estevao, Jamie Gittens, Pedro Neto, Geovany Quenda, Danny Welbeck
Where to watch Fulham vs Chelsea: TV and online streams
Kick-off on Monday is at 20:00 BST (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT), with live coverage in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra.
Via Now TV, Sky Sports costs £14.99 for a day membership, £27.99 a month for a 12-month membership or £34.99 a month with no contract.
Fulham vs Chelsea stats
- Fulham will begin a Premier League season with a London derby for a fourth time, having lost the previous three: 2-1 Arsenal in 2007/08, 2-0 at home to Crystal Palace in 2018/19 and 3-0 at home to Arsenal in 2020/21
- They have won their opener in one of their last six Premier League seasons (D2 L3), beating Everton away in 2023/24
- In 2026, only Manchester United (8) have won more Premier League home games than Fulham (6), with the Cottagers victorious in six of their last nine at Craven Cottage (L3)
- This will be both Arbeloa and Alonso’s first Premier League match as managers. The pair played 46 league games alongside one another for Liverpool from 2007 to 2009, losing four of those (W28 D14)
- That makes this the first time any manager’s first Premier League game has come against another manager he was a teammate of as a player in the competition
- Chelsea were beaten in their most recent meeting with Fulham (2-1 away in January in the Premier League) but haven’t lost consecutive games against them across all competitions since a run of three between April 1977 and October 1979
- The Blues have failed to win their opening league game in each of the last three seasons (D2 L1), last going four in a row without a win between 1995/96 and 1998/99
- Since the start of March, Chelsea have the fewest points of any side not to be relegated from the Premier League last season (7). They have lost eight of 11 league games in this period (W2 D1), which is the most of any top-flight club
- Alonso is set to be the 27th manager to take charge of at least one Premier League game with Chelsea, overtaking Tottenham Hotspur (26) as the most by any side (counting joint-managers as one)
- Two of Chelsea’s last eight managers have won their first league game in charge (D4 L2), although both were in London derbies: Graham Potter vs Crystal Palace in October 2022 and Liam Rosenior vs Brentford in January 2026
- Welbeck is set to feature in his 19th Premier League season, playing at least once in every campaign since and including 2008/09. This will be the joint-most seasons played in by any striker in the competition’s history, equalling Jermain Defoe (19) and overtaking Peter Crouch (18)
- These managers will be the 10th and 11th to take charge of a specific Premier League side for the first time this weekend, which is the outright most on matchday in a single campaign (excluding 1992/93) in the competition’s history (previously nine, in 2012/13 and 2016/17)
More to follow.
