Chelsea begin their 2026/27 Premier League campaign with a short trip across London to face Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday night.
This is an interesting opening test for both sides.
Fulham arrive in good form and have not lost any of their last five matches. Chelsea, meanwhile, showed plenty of attacking quality during pre-season but were less convincing defensively.
There is also a new tactical story on both benches. Álvaro Arbeloa takes charge of Fulham, while Xabi Alonso begins his Premier League journey with Chelsea.
Chelsea have the stronger squad on paper, but a London derby at Craven Cottage rarely feels straightforward.
Here is our Fulham vs Chelsea prediction, including recent form, team news, predicted lineups and our main picks.
Fulham vs Chelsea Match Info
- Match: Fulham vs Chelsea
- Competition: Premier League
- Round: 1
- Date: Monday, August 24, 2026
- Kick-off: 19:00 UTC
- Venue: Craven Cottage
- Location: London, England
- Referee: John Brooks
Official starting lineups are normally confirmed around one hour before kick-off.
Fulham Recent Form
Fulham have quietly put together a strong run heading into the new season.
Fulham Last 5 Matches
Fulham 1-0 Stuttgart
Malaga 2-2 Fulham
Farense 1-2 Fulham
Fulham 2-0 Newcastle
Wolves 1-1 Fulham
That gives Fulham three wins and two draws from their last five matches.
More importantly, they have scored in every game during that run while keeping two clean sheets.
The level of opposition will increase considerably against Chelsea, but Fulham have enough recent momentum to make this uncomfortable for the visitors.
Playing at Craven Cottage should help too.
Chelsea Recent Form
Chelsea’s pre-season has been more unpredictable.
Chelsea Last 5 Matches
Chelsea 3-1 Real Sociedad
Johor Darul Ta’zim 3-3 Chelsea
Chelsea 3-0 AC Milan
Chelsea 0-1 Juventus
Chelsea 1-2 Tottenham
There are positives and negatives in those results.
Chelsea scored six goals across their last two matches and looked particularly dangerous in victories over Milan and Real Sociedad.
However, they have also conceded in three of their previous five games.
That defensive inconsistency is one reason we would be careful about expecting an easy Chelsea victory.
Fulham vs Chelsea Head-to-Head
The overall record strongly favours Chelsea.
According to the current FotMob H2H data:
Fulham wins: 3
Chelsea wins: 13
Draws: 6
Chelsea have therefore won more than half of the recorded meetings between these sides.
But form matters too.
Fulham arrive unbeaten in five matches, and playing at Craven Cottage gives them a realistic chance of making this derby competitive.
Fulham Team News
Fulham have two confirmed absences.
Joachim Andersen – Suspended
Tom Cairney – Knee injury
Andersen’s suspension is particularly important because Fulham are preparing to face an attack containing players such as Cole Palmer and João Pedro.
Fulham Predicted Lineup
Fulham are currently expected to use a 4-2-3-1:
Goalkeeper:
Bernd Leno
Defenders:
Timothy Castagne – Jorge Cuenca – Calvin Bassey – Antonee Robinson
Midfielders:
Sander Berge – Alex Iwobi
Attacking Midfielders:
Oscar Bobb – Joshua King – Kevin
Forward:
Gonzalo García
The wide areas could be particularly important.
Antonee Robinson can push forward from left-back, while Fulham will need players such as Bobb to attack quickly whenever Chelsea lose possession.
Chelsea Team News
Chelsea have more uncertainty around their squad.
Wesley Fofana is suspended, while Caleb Wiley, Aaron Anselmino, Mamadou Sarr, Jordan Henderson and Emanuel Emegha are currently listed among the unavailable or doubtful players.
There is also attention around Enzo Fernández following transfer speculation.
Xabi Alonso said ahead of the match that Fernández had been training well, although he did not confirm the midfielder’s long-term future at the club.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup
Chelsea are expected to start with a 3-4-3:
Goalkeeper:
Robert Sánchez
Defenders:
Reece James – Maxence Lacroix – Levi Colwill
Midfield:
Marco Palestra – Moisés Caicedo – Roméo Lavia – Pedro Neto
Attack:
Cole Palmer – João Pedro – Morgan Rogers
This shape gives Chelsea plenty of attacking flexibility.
Palmer can move inside and find pockets between Fulham’s midfield and defence, while Neto provides direct running from wider positions.
The Player Fulham Need to Stop: Cole Palmer
Fulham’s defensive plan will almost certainly involve limiting the space available to Cole Palmer.
Palmer does not need to remain in one position.
He can drift centrally, move toward the right side or drop deeper to receive possession before Chelsea attack.
That movement can become difficult to defend.
If Fulham’s midfield pushes too far forward, Palmer could find space behind it. But if they sit too deep, Chelsea will have more time around the penalty area.
Finding that balance will be one of Fulham’s biggest challenges.
How Could Fulham vs Chelsea Play Out?
This could be more open than Chelsea would like.
Fulham have scored in five consecutive matches, while Chelsea have shown both attacking quality and defensive vulnerability during pre-season.
Chelsea should have more possession.
Caicedo and Lavia can control central areas, allowing Palmer and the other attackers to operate higher up the pitch.
Fulham, however, do not necessarily need much possession.
Their opportunity could come when Chelsea’s wing-backs move forward.
If Fulham recover the ball and attack those spaces quickly, they can cause problems.
An early Chelsea goal would change the match considerably. Fulham would have to become more adventurous, potentially creating even more space for the visitors.
Can Fulham Score Against Chelsea?
We think they can.
Fulham have scored in each of their last five matches, including against Newcastle and Stuttgart.
Chelsea have also conceded six goals across their previous five games.
That does not mean Fulham are guaranteed to score, but it makes a home goal realistic.
For that reason, Both Teams to Score is an interesting alternative angle for this match.
Why Chelsea Have the Edge
Fulham’s form deserves respect, but Chelsea still have the stronger individual quality.
Players such as Palmer, Caicedo, Neto and João Pedro give Alonso several different ways to attack.
The historical record also favours the visitors heavily.
Chelsea have won 13 of the 22 meetings included in the current H2H record, compared with only three Fulham victories.
The biggest question is whether Chelsea can remain defensively disciplined.
If they do, their attacking quality should eventually make the difference.
Fulham vs Chelsea Betting Tips
🔥 Main Pick: Chelsea to Win
Chelsea are our main selection.
This is not a comfortable pick because Fulham arrive in excellent form and have home advantage.
However, Chelsea possess more quality in the final third.
If Palmer finds space and Chelsea control midfield, the visitors should create enough chances to win.
🛡️ Safe Pick: Chelsea or Draw (X2)
For a more cautious option, Chelsea or Draw (X2) looks stronger.
Fulham are unbeaten in five, so completely dismissing the possibility of a draw would be risky.
X2 gives Chelsea the advantage while providing protection if the derby finishes level.
⚽ Goals Pick: Over 1.5 Goals
Both teams have been scoring regularly.
Fulham have found the net in five consecutive games, while Chelsea scored six times across their final two pre-season matches.
Therefore, Over 1.5 Goals is our preferred goals pick.
💎 Value Pick: Chelsea to Win & Over 1.5 Goals
For a more ambitious selection, we like Chelsea to Win & Over 1.5 Total Goals.
A 2-0, 2-1 or 3-1 Chelsea victory would all fit this scenario.
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Fulham vs Chelsea Predicted Score
🎯 Fulham 1-2 Chelsea
We expect Fulham to make Chelsea work for this one.
The hosts enter the season in good form and have enough attacking quality to punish mistakes, particularly if Chelsea leave spaces when pushing forward.
But Chelsea have more match-winners.
Palmer’s creativity, João Pedro’s movement and the quality around them should create opportunities as the match develops.
Our Fulham vs Chelsea prediction is therefore a 2-1 away victory for Chelsea.
Final Prediction
This looks like one of the more interesting games of the opening Premier League round.
Fulham are unbeaten in their last five and should arrive with confidence. Chelsea, meanwhile, have looked dangerous going forward but still have questions to answer defensively.
We expect a competitive London derby rather than a one-sided match.
Still, Chelsea’s stronger squad and attacking quality give them the edge.
🔥 Main Pick: Chelsea to Win
🛡️ Safe Pick: Chelsea or Draw (X2)
⚽ Goals Pick: Over 1.5 Goals
💎 Value Pick: Chelsea to Win & Over 1.5 Goals
🎯 Predicted Score: Fulham 1-2 Chelsea
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