Chelsea kicks off the 2026/27 Premier League campaign under new manager Xabi Alonso with a West London derby against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday, August 24, 2026, marking a high-stakes opening-weekend finale for both clubs.
New Era Begins in West London as Chelsea Visits Craven Cottage
The 2026/27 Premier League season reaches its opening-weekend finale on Monday, August 24, 2026, with Fulham hosting Chelsea in a major West London derby at Craven Cottage. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. BST, corresponding to 3 p.m. ET and 12:30 am IST (next day). Sky Sports selected the fixture as its Monday Night Football broadcast, with coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. BST.
Chelsea enters the new campaign under new management after appointing Xabi Alonso to steady the club following a disappointing 10th-place finish last season that left the Blues out of European competition. BlueCo backed the managerial change with a heavy summer spending spree, bringing in a host of new players including Morgan Rogers, Marco Palestra, and Maxence Lacroix for big money. Fulham, meanwhile, spent big themselves, bringing in young Real Madrid duo Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios to follow former Blancos boss Alvaro Arbeloa to SW6.
Managerial Subplot and Confirmed Lineups at Craven Cottage
The fixture carries a compelling managerial subplot as former Liverpool teammates face off in the dugout. Alvaro Arbeloa takes charge of his first competitive Premier League match as Fulham manager, squaring off against his former club teammate Xabi Alonso, who begins his tenure as Chelsea manager. Both men have made clear their friendship stops at the final whistle. Arbeloa’s side enters the meeting coming off of a narrow 1-0 victory over VfB Stuttgart in their final preseason club friendly.
Both managers face early selection hurdles. Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa is without Tom Cairney through injury, while Joachim Andersen serves a suspension. Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso is also dealing with absentees, as Aaron Anselmino and Emanuel Emegha are both sidelined through injury, and Wesley Fofana misses out through suspension. Additionally, Moisés Caicedo is completely out of the matchday squad for Chelsea, and Marco Palestra is also missing in action after some fitness issues over the past few days. Alonso has been vocal in his praise of summer signing Marco Palestra, describing the Italian-schooled defender as offering something different
to his squad.
Fulham’s starting lineup features Bernd Leno in goal, with a back line of Timothy Castagne, captain Calvin Bassey, Jorge Cuenca, and Antonee Robinson, alongside Sander Berge, Alex Iwobi, King, Oscar Bobb, Gonzalo Garcia, and Cesar Palacios. Substitutes for Fulham include Lecomte, Tete, Reed, Muniz, Kevin, Charles, Sessegnon, Smith Rowe, and De Fougerolles.
Chelsea’s starting lineup in a 3-4-3 formation features Robert Sánchez in goal, with Levi Colwill, Maxence Lacroix, and Josh Acheampong in defense, a midfield and wing-back group of Jorrel Hato, Roméo Lavia, captain Reece James, and Malo Gusto, and an attack featuring Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer, and João Pedro. Substitutes for Chelsea include Penders, Chavarría, Barco, Enzo, Estêvão, Gittens, Pedro Neto, Quenda, and Danny Welbeck.
How to Watch Fulham vs. Chelsea Live TV and Streaming Options
| Region | TV Channel | Streaming Option |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports Main Event | Sky Go |
| United States | USA Network (English), Universo (Spanish) | Fubo, DIRECTV Stream, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo |
| India | Star Sports Select HD1 | JioHotstar |
Match officials for the opening-weekend clash include John Brooks on the pitch as referee, with Darren England operating the video assistant referee (VAR) controls. The forecast calls for weather that is nice and warm.
Worth a look