Two West London clubs with Spanish managers begin this season’s Premier League campaign tonight in a highly anticipated derby as Fulham welcome Chelsea to Craven Cottage.
Former Real Madrid teammates and compatriots Álvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso will lead the two sides into their first competitive meeting as Premier League managers.
While Alonso was appointed as Chelsea’s long-term successor to Liam Rosenior at the end of last season, Arbeloa took the reins at Fulham after succeeding Alonso at Real Madrid.
Arbeloa spent the second half of last season in the Spanish capital before taking on his first major managerial challenge in England.
He now faces the difficult task of maintaining the stability Fulham enjoyed under Marco Silva, who guided the Cottagers to consistent mid-table finishes after their return to the Premier League in 2022.
Fulham’s decision to hand the job to an inexperienced manager has raised questions about how they will perform this season, with some predictions suggesting they could find themselves involved in a relegation battle.
Chelsea, meanwhile, enter the campaign with significantly greater ambitions under Alonso. The former Bayer Leverkusen boss has been given considerable authority at Stamford Bridge and will be expected to guide the club back into the Champions League.
The Blues also have the advantage of not having European football to contend with this season, potentially allowing Alonso’s squad to remain fresher as the campaign progresses.
A strong start against their London rivals would provide an immediate boost to those ambitions.
There are legitimate concerns surrounding Fulham ahead of the new campaign. Although much of the squad that performed well under Silva remains intact, the Portuguese manager played a significant role in establishing the club as a stable Premier League side following several years of promotion and relegation.
Arbeloa, meanwhile, has little senior managerial experience at this level. His brief spell in charge of Real Madrid came in demanding circumstances, making the move to the Premier League an even bigger test of his credentials.
Chelsea ended preseason on a more encouraging note after a relatively slow beginning. Alonso appeared to settle on a back-three system towards the end of the summer, while club-record signing Morgan Rogers also impressed and has generated optimism around Stamford Bridge.
Head-to-head record: Fulham and Chelsea have met 95 times since their first encounter in 1910. Fulham have won 14 of those meetings, while Chelsea have recorded 54 victories.
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Chelsea have failed to win their last three opening-day Premier League fixtures, but Fulham have managed just one victory in their last six opening-day matches.
Alonso moved towards a back-three formation during preseason, with Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and João Pedro expected to form the attacking unit.
Palmer’s understanding with former Manchester City academy teammate Rogers could become an important feature of Alonso’s Chelsea, while Pedro enters the campaign with considerable confidence after scoring seven goals during preseason, more than any other Premier League player.
Fulham will be without Joachim Andersen, who is suspended after being sent off against Bournemouth towards the end of last season. Jorge Cuenca is expected to partner Calvin Bassey in central defence.
The Cottagers have relatively few injury concerns, with experienced midfielder Tom Cairney expected to be the only absentee. Arbeloa confirmed ahead of the match that the rest of his squad was available.
Former Real Madrid youngsters Gonzalo García and César Palacios could make their Premier League debuts, while Oscar Bobb is expected to take on a more prominent role on the right following Harry Wilson’s departure.
Sander Berge and Alex Iwobi are expected to anchor the midfield, providing Fulham with a strong combination of physicality and creativity.
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 expected to deploy a system similar to the one that proved successful during his time at Bayer Leverkusen.
The manager’s preference for a back three will be closely watched, given that only Antonio Conte has previously won the Premier League using that formation, doing so with Chelsea in the 2016/17 season.
Chelsea have more fitness concerns than their hosts and will also be without suspended defender Wesley Fofana. Reece James is expected to operate in the back three alongside new signing Maxence Lacroix and Levi Colwill, who missed much of last season after suffering an ACL injury.
Enzo Fernández remains at Chelsea despite reported interest from Manchester City and is expected to feature in Alonso’s midfield.
Emmanuel Emegha could return to the matchday squad after recovering from a hamstring problem, while Danny Welbeck is available and could make his official Chelsea debut under Alonso.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs Fulham (3-4-2-1): Sánchez; James, Lacroix, Colwill; Neto, Caicedo, Fernández, Palestra; Palmer, Pedro, Rogers.
