Fulham vs. Chelsea: Everything You Need to Know Before the Epic London Derby Clash

Two new managers begin their West London tenures with a derby clash on Monday evening, as Chelsea make the brief journey to Craven Cottage to face Fulham.

Countrymen and former Real Madrid teammates Álvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso are the new men in the dugout at the Cottagers and Blues, respectively. While Alonso was announced as Liam Rosenior's permanent successor at the close of last season, Arbeloa stepped into the Fulham role after a brief stint replacing Alonso at Real Madrid.

The new Fulham manager oversaw the second half of the campaign in the Spanish capital and now faces the considerable challenge of filling Marco Silva's shoes. The Cottagers established mid-table consistency under the Portuguese coach following their return to the Premier League in 2022, and are now seen as taking a gamble on an inexperienced head coach.

As a result, Fulham have been predicted to struggle this season and could potentially find themselves dragged into a relegation battle.

Chelsea, by contrast, carry far greater ambitions now that Alonso is at the helm and holds more authority than any manager since José Mourinho over a decade ago. With no European competition to contend with this campaign, the Blues should arrive fresher than their opponents as the season wears on, and they'll be eager to secure a swift return to the Champions League.

Fulham vs. Chelsea Score Prediction

Blues Ease to Derby Victory

There are genuine concerns surrounding Fulham heading into the new campaign. While much of Silva's core squad remains intact, the departing manager played a pivotal role in helping the Cottagers find their footing in the top flight after several years bouncing between the top two divisions.

Arbeloa also failed to make a significant impact in an admittedly demanding Madrid environment earlier this year. It remains difficult to get a clear read on his managerial identity, and the Premier League is certainly not the ideal arena for on-the-job learning.

After a somewhat sluggish start to preseason, Alonso will have taken heart from his squad's strong finish to their summer schedule, with record signing Morgan Rogers already catching the eye. Excitement is growing at Stamford Bridge.

Prediction: Fulham 1–3 Chelsea

Fulham Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea

Joachim Andersen will be absent through suspension, having received a red card in Fulham's home loss to Bournemouth late last season. Jorge Cuenca is expected to step in alongside Calvin Bassey at the back.

Fulham are otherwise in good health, with veteran Tom Cairney likely to be the sole injury absentee. "It's just Tom who is injured," Arbeloa said ahead of the fixture. "The rest of the players are available and they are working so hard."

Premier League debuts could be on the cards for former Real Madrid youngsters Gonzalo García and César Palacios, while Oscar Bobb is expected to take on a bigger role on the right wing following Harry Wilson's free transfer departure over the summer.

Sander Berge and Alex Iwobi form a powerful midfield partnership.

Fulham predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Cuenca, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Iwobi; Bobb, King, Palacios; García.

Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs. Fulham

Alonso is anticipated to deploy a similar setup to the one that brought him tremendous success at Bayer Leverkusen. However, only one manager — Antonio Conte — has claimed the Premier League title using a back three, achieving that feat with Chelsea in 2016–17.

Chelsea carry slightly more injury concerns than their hosts and are also missing suspended Wesley Fofana. Reece James is set to anchor Chelsea's defensive line alongside new recruit Maxence Lacroix and Levi Colwill, who was sidelined for much of last season with an ACL injury.

Enzo Fernández has attracted interest from Manchester City, but he remains part of the Chelsea squad and is expected to feature under Alonso on Monday night.

Emmanuel Emegha could feature in the matchday squad after returning from a hamstring problem, as could Danny Welbeck, whom Alonso has confirmed is fit to make his competitive debut for the Blues.

Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Fulham (3-4-2-1): Sánchez; James, Lacroix, Colwill; Neto, Caicedo, Fernández, Palestra; Palmer, Pedro, Rogers.

What Time Does Fulham vs. Chelsea Kick Off?

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