Chelsea Set to Battle Fulham: Match Preview, Bold Predictions and Starting XI Revealed
Chelsea aim to capitalize on their commanding victory over West Ham United as they host west London neighbors Fulham at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues managed without Cole Palmer in their London Stadium encounter but still secured a convincing 5–1 victory, adding to the woes of the Hammers and former Chelsea manager Graham Potter.
Boss Enzo Maresca will be eager to follow up that success against the Cottagers, who claimed victory in this matchup last season thanks to late strikes from Harry Wilson and Rodrigo Muniz. Chelsea did get their payback in the reverse fixture at Craven Cottage, with a nearly identical contest unfolding but the Blues prevailing with two late goals.
Should Fulham replicate last season's success, they would secure their maiden Premier League victory of the campaign. Back-to-back draws against Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United mean Marco Silva's squad remains undefeated, though maintaining that record against Chelsea will be exceptionally difficult. A 2–0 midweek victory over Bristol City in the Carabao Cup might also result in some fatigued players for the upcoming encounter.
Here's Sports Illustrated's preview of the match.
What Time Does Chelsea vs. Fulham Kick-Off?
Chelsea vs. Fulham Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
Current Form (All Competitions)
Chelsea | Fulham |
|---|---|
West Ham 1–5 Chelsea - 22/08/25 | Fulham 2–0 Bristol City - 27/08/25 |
Chelsea 0–0 Crystal Palace - 17/08/25 | Fulham 1–1 Man Utd - 24/08/25 |
Chelsea 4–1 AC Milan - 10/08/25 | Brighton 1–1 Fulham - 16/08/25 |
Chelsea 2–0 Bayer Leverkusen - 08/08/25 | Fulham 1–0 Eintracht Frankfurt - 09/08/25 |
Chelsea 3–0 PSG - 13/07/25 | Fulham 4–2 Al Ittihad - 30/07/25 |
How to Watch Chelsea vs. Fulham on TV
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports Ultimate, discovery+, discovery+ App |
United States | fuboTV, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, UNIVERSO NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, USA Network, UNIVERSO |
Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network Canada, Amazon Prime Video |
Mexico | Caliente TV, Amazon Prime Video |
Chelsea Team News
Palmer was absent from the West Ham fixture due to a groin problem sustained during warm-up, and Maresca has confirmed his unavailability for Fulham's visit. The attacking midfielder has also been excluded from Thomas Tuchel's England selection and will be monitored "day by day".
Chelsea will be without Levi Colwill for a significant portion of the season and are also missing Benoît Badiashile due to injury for Saturday's clash. Positively, Tosin Adarabioyo recovered from a knock against the Hammers and should partner Trevoh Chalobah again in defense.
The injury-plagued Roméo Lavia remains out with a muscle problem and Mykhailo Mudryk is suspended following a failed drug test.
Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, Raheem Sterling, Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku will not feature in the matchday squad as they seek transfers away from Stamford Bridge, with the latter close to joining AC Milan.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Fulham
Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Fulham (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; James, Chalobah, Adarabioyo, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernández; Estêvão, Pedro, Neto; Delap.
Fulham Team News
Marco Silva's sole fitness worry appears to be Harry Wilson, who picked up a foot problem during the midweek triumph over Bristol City. The Wales international, who impressed during pre-season, could be a notable absence.
On a positive note, Silva welcomed back Antonee Robinson and Ryan Sessegnon against Man Utd last weekend, resolving his left-back concerns.
Muniz started up front against the Red Devils but netted an own goal in the stalemate, with Raúl Jiménez potentially returning to the starting eleven after his recent Carabao Cup strike. 18-year-old Josh King might be replaced by Emile Smith Rowe in attacking midfield following the England international's leveler against Man Utd.
Fulham Lineup vs. Chelsea
Fulham predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Lukić, Berge; Traoré, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Jiménez.
Chelsea vs. Fulham Score Prediction
Chelsea's five-goal triumph over West Ham will have provided a vital confidence injection after a lackluster start to the season against Palace, but the Blues must remain alert to Fulham's dangers. They're well-structured and possess significant counter-attacking threat through players like Alex Iwobi and Adama Traoré.
Nevertheless, Chelsea should possess the offensive firepower to defeat the Cottagers, with João Pedro maintaining his excellent form from West Ham and Estêvão stepping up for his Premier League debut.
They may not secure a clean sheet but should claim their first home victory of the season.