Xabi Alonso’s first managerial role in the Premier League sees him take charge of Chelsea.
Many expected the Spaniard to join former club Liverpool, but the ex-Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen boss is now getting settled in West London.
Alonso takes over after a tumultuous 2025-26 season at Stamford Bridge, in which Liam Rosenior was hired as Enzo Maresca’s replacement and fired within the space of just 106 days.
The Spaniard really needs to steady the ship, a task which has proved difficult to achieve at Chelsea in recent years.
All eyes will be on the Blues in 2026-27, and below we take a closer look at one of the biggest clubs on the planet, as well as some of the latest Premier League odds available on the NetBet Sport platform.
And before Chelsea get their season underway, new and verified customers can activate our exclusive Welcome Offer. Place a qualifying £10 bet and earn £20 in Free Bets.
In 2026/27, what other competitions will Chelsea play in?
Chelsea will not play in any European competition this term after last season’s 10th-place finish.
The Blues will compete in the EFL Cup and FA Cup across the 2026-27 campaign, entering the competitions at the second-round and third-round stages respectively.
Who do Chelsea play in their opening 2026/27 Premier League fixtures?
August 24 – Fulham vs Chelsea (20:00)
August 30 – Chelsea vs Brighton (14:00)
September 6 – Arsenal vs Chelsea (16:30)
September 12 – Chelsea vs Hull (15:00)
September 18 – Brentford vs Chelsea (20:00)
What key signings have Chelsea made this summer?
*Last updated on August 4th
Chelsea have been very active in the summer transfer window.
Morgan Rogers is the major addition to the squad, the England international joining from Aston Villa for a fee north of £100 million.
Centre-back Maxcence Lacroix is another standout addition from Crystal Palace, with right-back Marco Pelastra (Atalanta) a further key defensive recruit.
Elsewhere, Chelsea have brought in Danny Welbeck (Brighton), Valentin Barco (Strasbourg) and Geovany Quenda (Sporting Lisbon), as well as completing the signing of veteran midfielder Jordan Henderson on a free transfer.
Which key players have left Chelsea this summer?
*Last updated on August 4th
Marc Cucurella completed a high-profile switch to Real Madrid, which is a bit of a blow for Chelsea ahead of the new campaign.
Midfielder Andrey Santos joined Manchester United, while former Red Devils winger Alejandro Garnacho departed Stamford Bridge on loan to hook up with Unai Emery at Aston Villa.
Tyrique George’s move to Everton is also now permanent after the winger spent part of 2025-26 on loan at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
What are the latest outright Chelsea odds on NetBet Sport?
*All odds are subject to change
Winner – 9.00
To finish in top 2 – 4.50
To finish in top 4 – 1.83
To finish in top 6 – 1.33
To be relegated – 67.00
To finish in the top half – 1.05
To finish in the bottom half – 11.00
To finish bottom – 251.00
Top at Christmas – 9.00
Which Chelsea players should be in the race for the 2026/27 Premier League Golden Boot?
Here are the latest Chelsea picks from NetBet’s ‘Top Goalscorer’ outright market:
Joao Pedro – 17.00
Cole Palmer – 41.00
Morgan Rogers – 51.00
Nicolas Jackson – 67.00
Danny Welbeck – 67.00
Liam Delap – 67.00
What are the best pre-season Chelsea betting tips for 2026/27?
A lack of European football could be the best thing for Alonso in his debut campaign as Chelsea boss.
More time on the training pitch should be hugely beneficial, as well as the added advantage of fresher players. Well, unless an injury crisis strikes.
So backing the Blues to finish inside the top four (1.83) could be a wise pre-season move, especially as the signing of Rogers should really elevate the attack.
The Englishman is expected to work in tandem with Cole Palmer behind the prolific Pedro, who scored 15 times in the top flight last season.
With that in mind, backing Pedro to claim the Golden Boot at 17.00 appears a decent outside pick on paper.
Palmer is at 11.00 to finish as the Premier League’s leading assister in 2026-27, while Rogers is far better priced in this market at 26.00.
Rogers tallied six assists last season and 10 in 2024-25, in case you were wondering…
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