Fulham and Chelsea have named their starting teams as both sides start their Premier League campaigns at Craven Cottage on Monday.
Two Spanish head coaches have made their first-ever selections as bosses in the top flight, starting with Cottagers manager Alvaro Arbeloa, who led Real Madrid last season.
Arbeloa took over after new Blues supremo Xabi Alonso’s brief spell in charge of Madrid ended in January.
Arbeloa’s predecessor, Marco Silva, guided the hosts to 11th in the top flight in 2025/26, matching Chelsea’s total of 52 points but finishing behind their neighbours on goal difference.
It’s calm now, but it won’t be later. 🏠 pic.twitter.com/UyZyMcyXhv
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) August 24, 2026
Fulham confirmed starting team vs Chelsea
Fulham starting XI: Leno, Castagne, Bassey, Cuenca, Robinson, Berge, Iwobi, King, Bobb, Gonzalo, Palacios
Fulham substitutes: To follow
Chelsea full line up vs Fulham
Chelsea starting XI: Sanchez, Acheampong, Lacroix, Colwill, Gusto, James, Lavia, Hato, Palmer, Rogers, Joao Pedro
Chelsea substitutes: To follow
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)
