Chelsea Set to Battle Crystal Palace: Bold Predictions and Starting XI Revealed
Reigning world champions Chelsea begin their 2025–26 Premier League campaign at Stamford Bridge this Sunday afternoon, hosting Crystal Palace in their season opener.
The Blues approach the new season with confidence following their successful summer tour in the United States, which showcased their remarkable development under Enzo Maresca's guidance. Having claimed the Club World Cup for the second time, Chelsea now set their sights on challenging for the Premier League title after securing fourth place on the final matchday of 2024–25.
Their American commitments resulted in a shortened preseason schedule, with Maresca's squad defeating Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan in two preparation matches ahead of the 2025–26 season opener.
Crystal Palace began their campaign perfectly at Wembley, mounting two comebacks against Liverpool to claim the Community Shield via penalty shootout. In contrast to Chelsea, the Eagles have remained relatively inactive in the transfer market following their maiden major trophy triumph, though their roster could undergo significant changes before the window closes.
The extent of departures will largely determine their final squad composition.
Here is Sports Illustrated's comprehensive preview of Sunday's Premier League clash.
What Time Does Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace Kick-Off?
Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
Current Form (All Competitions)
Chelsea | Crystal Palace |
|---|---|
Chelsea 4–1 AC Milan - 10/08/25 | Crystal Palace 2–2 (3–2p) Liverpool - 10/08/25 |
Chelsea 2–0 Bayer Leverkusen - 08/08/25 | Augsburg 1–0 Crystal Palace - 01/08/25 |
Chelsea 3–0 PSG - 13/07/25 | Augsburg 1–3 Crystal Palace - 01/08/25 |
Fluminense 0–2 Chelsea - 08/07/25 | Crawley Town 0–3 Crystal Palace - 25/07/25 |
Palmeiras 1–2 Chelsea - 05/07/25 | Crystal Palace 1–0 Millwall - 12/07/25 |
How to Watch Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace on TV
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | Sky Go UK, NOW, SKY GO Extra, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Ultra HD |
United States | fuboTV, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, USA Network, Telemundo |
Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network 2 Canada |
Mexico | Max Mexico, TNT Go, TNT Sports |
Chelsea Team News
Nicolas Jackson finds himself out of contention in west London, with the forward serving a suspension for Chelsea's season opener following his red card in a 2–0 loss to Newcastle United in May.
João Pedro represents one of several summer acquisitions, and the Brazilian has made an excellent impression during his early Chelsea tenure. He's expected to spearhead the attack on Sunday, with potential debuts also anticipated for Jorrel Hato and Jamie Gittens.
Maresca has confirmed Trevoh Chalobah's availability for Palace's visit, though the Italian will be without Benoît Badiashile, Roméo Lavia and Levi Colwill. Wesley Fofana remains a possibility for inclusion.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Crystal Palace
Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Palace (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; James, Chalobah, Hato, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernández; Neto, Palmer, Gittens; Pedro
Crystal Palace Team News
Crystal Palace duo Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi remain targets for Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, respectively.
Glasner declined to discuss his captain's future during Friday's pre-match media session, with both players expected in his starting eleven barring any last-minute developments before Sunday.
The Palace manager confirmed that Daichi Kamada, who sustained an injury during the Community Shield, will be absent for the west London trip, while Eddie Nketiah, Matheus França, Cheick Doucouré and Chadi Riad are also sidelined through injury.
Crystal Palace Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea
Palace predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Muñoz, Hughes, Wharton, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze; Mateta
Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace Score Prediction
Despite Chelsea's buoyant mood, Palace demonstrated their resilience once again in the Community Shield. They've thrived in these encounters under Glasner's stewardship, and they'll look to capitalize on any potential Blues overconfidence.
While Guehi and Eze may not be operating at peak performance given the transfer speculation, Palace possess sufficient quality to trouble Chelsea through Glasner's well-structured system alone. Ismaïla Sarr shone at Wembley, while Adam Wharton provides crucial midfield influence.
The Blues will need to earn their three points on Sunday, but we anticipate they'll narrowly prevail in what promises to be a highly competitive affair.