By OkayGoal
Chelsea travel to Fulham for Monday Night Football with a genuinely enviable problem for once, a fully fit squad and no significant injuries to navigate heading into the opening weeks of the season.
Pre-season was split into two distinct halves. In the first, Chelsea won just once, against Sydney Wanderers, and lost twice playing with a back four. In the final three matches, switching to a back three, they won two and drew one without losing.
That shift late in pre-season looks like the clearest signal of Xabi Alonso‘s intended formula heading into competitive action, with Fulham away followed by Luton Town at home in midweek and Brighton at Stamford Bridge completing an opening run of three games this week.
Why Fulham away is a tricky opener for Chelsea
Alvaro Arbeloa, a good friend of Alonso from their playing days together at Liverpool and Real Madrid, is in the away dugout. This is a genuine local derby for Fulham, arguably the fixture that means the most to their supporters alongside Brentford.
There has been talk of Fulham potentially struggling this season, though the business done in bringing in Cesar Palacios and Garcia from Real Madrid, players Arbeloa has worked with before and clearly rates, could prove smart business.
Fulham coach Alvaro Arbeloa on facing Chelsea:
🗣 “He [Alonso] is a coach, so we analyse Chelsea like we did with other teams, and like we will do with every team. I know [him] well because I watch so many, many games of his teams, but we know it will be not be easy.
They are… pic.twitter.com/jkZzxDiBFd
— Vince™ (@Blue_Footy) August 23, 2026
Chelsea lost this fixture 2-1 last season, but the squad now available under a settled manager is a completely different proposition.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Fulham
Goalkeeper: Robert Sánchez starts as Chelsea’s number one. His performances have fluctuated across his Chelsea career but he looked notably more comfortable with the ball at his feet throughout pre-season, receiving and playing with both feet under minimal visible pressure. A strong start to the season matters significantly for his confidence and Chelsea’s build-up play alike.
Back three: With Wesley Fofana suspended following his dismissal against Sunderland, Reece James comes in at right centre-back, a role that allows him to progress the ball forward without carrying the full defensive and attacking workload of a Xabi Alonso wing-back. Maxence Lacroix starts centrally (someone who looks a genuinely vocal leader) while Levi Colwill completes the back three on his favoured left-footed side. Josh Acheampong and Aaron Anselmino provide strong depth behind this trio.
Wing-backs and midfield: Pep Chavarria starts at left wing-back, the standout pre-season performer alongside João Pedro’s remarkable seven pre-season goals. His final third polish still needs refining given his age, but his energy across a full 90 minutes has been consistently excellent, an important trait as physical levels rise for competitive football. Pedro Neto starts at right wing-back, likely to make the position his own barring a sale given the £100 million valuation Chelsea have reportedly placed on him, with Malo Gusto, a significantly better player alongside Reece James specifically, more likely used from the bench in this system.
Moisés Caicedo looks sharp after pre-season and starts in central midfield. Enzo Fernández starting alongside him would be a significant signal in itself (if he starts here, it strongly suggests he remains part of Chelsea’s plans regardless of the ongoing Manchester City speculation).
Front three: Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and João Pedro complete the attack. Palmer looked sharper and more fluid in his movement throughout pre-season, appearing less tentative than the guarded version seen for large parts of last season while managing fitness concerns. Rogers offers goals, creation and genuine ball-carrying threat, and with Pep Chavarria and Neto providing overlapping width on both flanks alongside Caicedo’s defensive cover, Chelsea look like a threat from both sides of the pitch.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Fulham (3-4-2-1): Sánchez; James, Lacroix, Colwill; Pep Chavarria, Caicedo, Fernández, Neto; Palmer, Rogers; João Pedro
Chelsea vs Fulham prediction
Finishing 10th last season with genuinely strong business done in the transfer market since, the gap between this starting eleven and the one that lost to Fulham last season is night and day.
If Enzo Fernández and Caicedo continue building their partnership, Chelsea have a platform that has already shown real quality over recent seasons, and with a settled coach now fully in charge, there is little reason not to target a genuine push for the title this season rather than accepting Arsenal’s dominance as inevitable.