Chelsea start Premier League season at Fulham with Xabi Alonso seeking winning beginning

Chelsea begin their 2026-27 Premier League campaign at Fulham on Monday, with new manager Xabi Alonso aiming to give the Blues a positive start after a disappointing 10th-place finish last season.

The west London derby will take place at Craven Cottage on 24 August 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 19:00 GMT.

Match details

– Date: Monday, 24 August 2026 – Kick-off: 19:00 GMT – Venue: Craven Cottage

The match will be broadcast by Canal+ in France and Africa, Amazon Prime Video in Germany and the United Kingdom, and Paramount+, CBS, Fubo, DAZN and TUDN/ViX in the United States.

Viewers in Canada can watch on DAZN, while Stan Sport has the rights in Australia. TNT Sports will show the game in Brazil, with ESPN covering Latin America.

Chelsea hold a narrow advantage in the recent head-to-head record. The Blues have won three of the clubs’ past five meetings, while Fulham have claimed two victories, suggesting another closely contested derby could be in store.

Fulham have established themselves in the Premier League since returning to the top flight in 2022 and have generally remained clear of the relegation battle. Marco Silva’s side finished 11th last season, just one point behind a place in the UEFA Conference League positions.

Despite that near miss, Fulham’s immediate priority remains securing survival in what is widely regarded as a highly competitive division. Their pre-season results were mixed: the Cottagers lost to Norwich and Crystal Palace but recorded victories over Farense and Stuttgart.

Chelsea’s previous campaign was also far below expectations. The club had finished fourth in the Premier League in 2025 and won the FIFA Club World Cup, raising hopes of another strong season. Instead, the Blues ended the following campaign in 10th place, level on points with Fulham, and will begin this season without European football.

In an attempt to revive the project, Chelsea appointed Xabi Alonso. He impressed during his time at Leverkusen but endured a difficult spell at Real Madrid. The Spaniard will now be tasked with restoring Chelsea’s momentum and making better use of a squad that has been strengthened during the summer.

Chelsea’s preparations included impressive wins against AC Milan and Real Sociedad. They also suffered defeats by Tottenham and Juventus, underlining the uncertainty surrounding the team before the competitive season begins.

Despite last season’s struggles, the Blues appear to have shown renewed confidence in pre-season. They also go into the derby with a deeper squad than Fulham, while Alonso’s appointment and the club’s new signings have added to expectations that Chelsea can challenge for all three points.

Africafoot’s prediction is a 2-1 victory for Chelsea, with the visitors considered the more likely winners against a Fulham side described as still inconsistent.

The betting company 1xBet lists Fulham at 3.10 to win, a draw at 3.55 and Chelsea at 2.00.