Chelsea hope to build on their demolition of West Ham United when they welcome west London rivals Fulham to Stamford Bridge.
The Blues were without Cole Palmer for the duel at London Stadium but still ran out 5–1 winners as they piled more misery on the Irons and ex-Chelsea boss Graham Potter.
Manager Enzo Maresca will be keen to back up that triumph against the Cottagers, who were victorious in this fixture last season courtesy of late goals from Harry Wilson and Rodrigo Muniz. The Blues did earn revenge in the return game at Craven Cottage, with an almost identical match unfolding but Chelsea coming out on top with two efforts at the death.
If Fulham can repeat last season’s heroics, they will earn their first win of the Premier League campaign. Successive draws with Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United mean Marco Silva’s men are currently unbeaten, but extending that streak against Chelsea will prove extremely challenging. A 2–0 midweek win over Bristol City in the Carabao Cup could also mean a few tired legs for the upcoming clash.
Here’s Sports Illustrated’s guide to the game.
What Time Does Chelsea vs. Fulham Kick-Off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Stamford Bridge
- Date: Saturday, August 30
- Kick-off Time: 12.30 p.m. BST / 7.30 a.m. ET / 4.30 a.m. PT
- Referee: Rob Jones
- VAR: Michael Salisbury
Chelsea vs. Fulham Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Chelsea: 4 wins
- Fulham: 1 win
- Draws: 0
- Last meeting: Fulham 1–2 Chelsea (April 20, 2025) - Premier League
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Chelsea vs. Fulham on TV
Chelsea Team News
Palmer missed the West Ham game with a groin injury suffered in the warm-up and Maresca has confirmed his absence for the visit of Fulham. The attacking midfielder has also been omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad and will be assessed “day by day”.
Chelsea will be without Levi Colwill for much of the season and are also missing Benoît Badiashile through injury for Saturday. Fortunately, Tosin Adarabioyo returned from a knock against the Hammers and should partner Trevoh Chalobah once more in defence.
The injury-prone Roméo Lavia is sidelined with a muscle issue and Mykhailo Mudryk is suspended after failing a drugs test.
Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, Raheem Sterling, Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku won’t make the matchday squad as they explore moves away from Stamford Bridge, with the latter edging towards a move to 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 only fitness concern appears to be Harry Wilson, who suffered a foot injury during the midweek win over Bristol City. The Wales international, who was excellent in pre-season, could prove a significant miss.
In better news, Silva welcomed Antonee Robinson and Ryan Sessegnon back into the fold against Man Utd last weekend, solving his left-back dilemma.
Muniz led the line against the Red Devils but scored an own goal in the draw, with Raúl Jiménez potentially coming back into the team after his recent goal in the Carabao Cup. 18-year-old Josh King could be replaced by Emile Smith Rowe in attacking midfield after the England international’s equaliser 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 victory over West Ham will have served as a much-needed confidence boost after a tame beginning to the campaign against Palace, but the Blues must be wary of Fulham’s threats. They’re well organised and boast plenty of counter-attacking potential in the likes of Alex Iwobi and Adama Traoré.
Still, Chelsea should have the attacking muscle to overcome the Cottagers, with João Pedro continuing his stellar form at West Ham and Estêvão rising to the occasion on his first Premier League start.
They might not keep a clean sheet but they should manage a first home win of the term.
Prediction: Chelsea 3–1 Fulham
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea vs. Fulham: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.