Chelsea vs Fulham preview, H2H, team news, line-ups and prediction

Fulham will aim for historic back-to-back victories at Stamford Bridge when they face West London neighbours Chelsea in matchweek three of the Premier League.

Chelsea entered the 2025–26 campaign with lofty expectations following their FIFA Club World Cup triumph earlier in the summer. Yet, their display on the opening weekend fell well short of the standard they had showcased during their successful run in the United States the previous month.

Since the conclusion of last season’s Premier League schedule, the Blues have added both the UEFA Conference League crown and the FIFA Club World Cup title to their silverware cabinet, with Enzo Maresca determined to chase further glory across the new term.

Nevertheless, the anticipation among supporters remains strong, as fresh recruits are anticipated to gradually integrate into the squad and adapt to the manager’s tactical demands as the months unfold.

After an off-season of celebration capped by an emphatic dismantling of Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final, this contest served as a harsh reminder of the challenges that still await Chelsea domestically.

Facing Crystal Palace is never a straightforward assignment. Still, the lack of cutting-edge in advanced areas against opponents not widely tipped to secure a top-six finish has raised genuine doubts.

Over the 90 minutes, Chelsea registered only three efforts on target, with just a solitary attempt arriving before stoppage time at the close of the encounter.

Equally troubling was that Cole Palmer did not fashion a single opportunity until the last minute, while new arrival João Pedro failed to carve out one during his 73-minute involvement, and fellow Brazilian Estêvão produced the same outcome across his 36 minutes after coming on as a substitute.

Though more favourable contests will come throughout the season, this stalemate ultimately represents a considerably stronger outcome for visitors Palace than it does for their West London hosts.

Attention now turns to successive London clashes with West Ham United and Fulham, fixtures in which Chelsea will aim to rediscover their attacking sharpness to avoid conceding further ground before a widely anticipated title pursuit gathers pace.

Fulham, notably, secured a 2-1 victory in their first league clash with Chelsea during the 2024–25 campaign last December, as late strikes from Rodrigo Muniz and Harry Wilson overturned Cole Palmer’s first-half opener.

In the reverse encounter, however, Chelsea managed a late turnaround of their own, with Tyrique George and Pedro Neto both striking in the closing stages to seal a comeback triumph at Craven Cottage earlier this year.

Relegation talk has not been heard around Craven Cottage for quite a while, and that appears unlikely to change this campaign, even though business in the transfer window has been limited.

Marco Silva, who took charge in 2021, has brought about clear improvement. Not only has he guided Fulham back into the Premier League, but he has also made sure they remain competitive within it.

Under the Portuguese manager, Fulham achieved their best-ever points return in the top division, finishing seven points better than they had managed during the 2023–24 season.

Despite operating with smaller funds compared with big-spending neighbours Chelsea, Silva has instilled both structure and resilience into his squad, blending a clear identity with belief.

That has turned Fulham into awkward opposition for leading teams in the league, consistently earning credit for frustrating expectations through compact defending and incisive breaks. Their 2-1 success away at Stamford Bridge back in January highlighted that growth, ending a barren run of 35 games without victory at the ground dating back to 1979.

Rodrigo Muniz, who netted the decisive strike in that contest, again stepped up in Fulham’s league opener against Brighton and Hove Albion, finding the net in stoppage time to claim a point.

The Brazilian forward reacted quickest in the 96th minute, smashing home from close range after Harry Wilson’s corner. His late intervention stunned the home crowd after Matt O’Riley had earlier put Brighton in front with a penalty on 55 minutes following Sander Berge’s foul on Georginio Rutter.

Attention now turns to whether Muniz—strongly linked with a summer departure—will still be part of Silva’s squad for the return to Stamford Bridge at the end of the month.

Chelsea vs Fulham match details

• Date: Saturday, 30th August, 2025
• Location: London, England
• Venue: Stamford Bridge
• Kick-off time: 12:30 PM BST
• Tickets: Fans can find tickets for the game at Seatsnet.com.

Match stats and head-to-head

• Since the beginning of last season, Muniz has scored more goals as a substitute (seven) than any other Premier League player, with only two of his last nine league strikes coming as a starter.

• After finishing the 2024–25 campaign with back-to-back clean sheets, Chelsea extended the run to three in succession in the Premier League — their first such sequence since February 2023 under Graham Potter.

• At 19 years and 104 days, Josh Acheampong became the second-youngest player to start a Premier League opener for Chelsea, behind Glen Johnson in 2003–04 (18 years, 359 days).

• Fulham have now conceded 1,000 goals in 685 Premier League matches, becoming the 13th club to reach that figure — with only Leicester City (679) doing so in fewer than 700 games.

• Muniz’s 95th-minute winner against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge was the latest deciding goal conceded by the Blues in Premier League history, overtaking Pedro Neto’s stoppage-time strike for Wolves in December 2020. It was also Chelsea’s first time conceding a 90th-minute home winner in the competition since February 2003, when Blackburn’s David Dunn struck late.

Team news

Chelsea suffered another setback on the eve of their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace after Tosin Adarabioyo sustained an injury during training.

That represented a further blow for Enzo Maresca, who is already without his first-choice defender Levi Colwill for a large part of the campaign following the anterior cruciate ligament damage the England international picked up.

Romeo Lavia has not appeared in a Chelsea shirt since playing the full 85 minutes during the Club World Cup round of 16 triumph over Benfica.

With Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile yet to fully recover, Maresca turned to youngster Josh Acheampong to line up alongside Trevor Chalobah — the academy graduate delivered a strong showing and could keep his place when Fulham arrive at Stamford Bridge.

Marco Silva, meanwhile, has confirmed Antonee Robinson will not feature in Fulham’s early league fixtures as he continues rehabilitation from the knee surgery he underwent in May. The 27-year-old, absent throughout preseason, is ruled out of the encounter with Brighton and remains doubtful for the subsequent clash with Manchester United.

Concerns for Fulham at left-back worsened when Ryan Sessegnon limped off in the friendly against Frankfurt. Although Silva dismissed fears of a lengthy absence, the Englishman did not make the squad for the opening Brighton match, leaving uncertainty over his availability for the Chelsea meeting.

18-year-old academy midfielder Joshua King was surprisingly selected ahead of Emile Smith Rowe and produced an eye-catching performance, giving Silva a dilemma as he prepares for this contest, since he will require his more seasoned players despite the youngster’s bright display.

Between the posts, Bernd Leno is anticipated to retain the number one role notwithstanding the arrival of Benjamin Lecomte, while Joachim Andersen and Jorge Cuenca are expected to continue in central defence.

Timothy Castagne, who overcame an ankle issue to come off the bench against Brighton, should now be fit enough to challenge Kenny Tete for a starting place at right-back.

Predicted starting lineup

Chelsea predicted starting lineup:

Sanchez; James, Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella; Enzo, Caicedo; Neto, Palmer, Gittens; Pedro.

Fulham predicted starting lineup:

Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon; Berge, Lukic; Wilson, King, Iwobi; Muniz.

Prediction

Chelsea were frustrated against a well-drilled and structured Palace defence, with Marc Cucurella’s first-half header and Andrey Santos’ late effort being their clearest chances in the game.

They were far from their best, as they showed in preseason, and Fulham would be another stern test for their attack.

Enzo Maresca’s side still possesses sufficient firepower, but he’ll need to come up with a tactic against opponents that sit back to hit the Blues on the counter.

Fulham are renowned for digging deep and preventing their opponents for as long as possible while also being proactive in attack to take advantage of any half-chances.

This game would not be a stroll in the park for Chelsea, as Fulham will be eyeing historic back-to-back wins at Stamford Bridge, but the Blues’ superior firepower and individual quality should decide the game. Don’t forget, you can check out current available ticket listings for the game at Seatsnet.com.

We’re predicting a 2-1 win for Chelsea