A West London derby between Fulham and Chelsea finishes off Matchday 1 of the 2026-27 Premier League season.
Monday Night Football is back with a fresh face in each dugout. Alvaro Arbeloa is the new manager of Fulham following Marco Silva’s exit, while Xabi Alonso takes on the Chelsea challenge after the Blues’ chaotic end to 2025-26 – which saw them finish a lowly 10th.
Of course, Spanish pair Arbeloa and Alonso played together at both Liverpool and Real Madrid, but friendships will certainly be put to one side under the lights of Craven Cottage.
Our full match preview is available to view below, with some sports betting tips and NetBet Sport’s latest Premier League odds.
And if you bet on this fixture – or indeed any top-flight football fixture – is coming in with time still left to play, remember you can use our Cash Out feature to claim potential winnings early.
Where can I watch Fulham vs Chelsea in the UK?
Fulham vs Chelsea will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm UK time.
Fulham vs Chelsea Preview
Recent results
Fulham opened their pre-season campaign with a 1-1 draw vs Al-Ahli, before suffering a 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace. Arbeloa’s men then drew 2-2 with Malaga, and capped things off with a 1-0 win over Stuttgart.
Chelsea beat Western Sydney Wanderers 6-4 in their pre-season opener. Back-to-back defeats vs Tottenham (1-2) and Juventus (0-1) were followed by a 3-0 victory over AC Milan, the Blues then concluding warm-up matters with a 3-3 draw against Johor Darul Ta’zim and a 3-1 victory vs Real Sociedad.
Head-to-head record
Fulham won 2-1 at Craven Cottage last season after suffering a 2-0 loss at Stamford Bridge.
It was the Cottagers’ first home win in this top-flight fixture since January 2023.
Team news
Tom Cairney is the only guaranteed injury absentee for Fulham, although key defender Joachim Andersen is suspended. Summer arrivals Gonzalo Garcia, Jonah Kusi-Asare, Shea Charles and Cesar Palacios will all be pushing for starts here.
Jordan Henderson and Emmanuel Emegha are ruled out for Chelsea, while Wesley Fofana – like Andersen – is suspended. Aaron Anselmino and Mamadour Sarr are rated as doubtful. Alonso should deploy a number of his new signings here, including Morgan Rogers, Marco Palestra and Maxcence Lacroix. Danny Welbeck, Valentin Barco, Geovany Quenda and Pep Chavarria could make impacts off the bench.
Fulham vs Chelsea Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Fulham arrive in the West London derby as the underdogs, priced at 3.61 to claim the victory. A win for Chelsea is at odds of 1.87, while the draw is 3.73.
Fulham vs Chelsea Betting Tips
Both teams to score – Yes @ 1.55
The BTTS market has been a source of profit in recent editions of this fixture – for the most part. It is a pick which landed in three of the last four top-flight meetings, as well as in each of the previous two at Craven Cottage.
Chelsea to win and both teams to score – Yes @ 3.25
And combining the most likely match outcome with BTTS offers up some very tempting odds indeed. Chelsea should eventually be too strong for their local rivals, but we expect an entertaining and goal-filled contest in the capital.
Player to score or assist – Joao Pedro @ 1.84
As we are backing goals in West London, it feels only right to highlight the standout contribution candidate – and that is certainly Pedro. The Brazilian scored seven goals in pre-season, including a brace in the 3-1 victory over Real Sociedad. Pedro also has two goals in his previous three games vs Fulham, so backing him to score OR assist feels like a solid pre-match wager.
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