Fulham vs Chelsea - pre-match stats

Chelsea begin our Premier League season with a west London derby on Monday evening. In the match, Real Madrid's last two former managers will go head-to-head.

Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa also played together for Liverpool in nine matches against Chelsea between 2007 and 2009. This is the first time a manager’s Premier League debut has come against someone he also played alongside in the competition.

Chelsea and Fulham are two of nine clubs to have new managers at the start of the Premier League season. Nine is the highest number in the competition’s history surpassing eight in 2016.

The Blues (10th) and Fulham (11th) finished level on 52 points last season with only goal difference separating the sides.

The Blues have won six of the past eight Premier League meetings at Craven Cottage with Fulham winning the other two. Our last draw there was in 2012.

Head-to-head

Fulham are seeking consecutive top-flight wins over Chelsea for the first time. Their only previous back-to-back victories against the Blues came between 1977 and 1979 in the Second Division.

Only Man Utd (27) and Arsenal (26) have won more Premier League games against Fulham than Chelsea (23).

Head-to-Head (all competitions)

Played: 92

Won: 53

Drawn: 27

Lost: 12

Biggest win for each team:

Chelsea 4-0 Fulham - 1925/26 & 1983/84 - both in Division Two

Fulham 3-0 Chelsea - 1950/51 - FA Cup

Chelsea’s biggest win at Fulham - 4-1 in 2004/05 in the Premier League

Fulham’s biggest league win against Chelsea - 3-1 in 1976/77 in the Second Division

Chelsea stats

This match begins the club's 35th Premier League season. We are one of six clubs to be ever-present in the competition.

We have won 20 of our 34 Premier League opening-weekend matches, a win rate of 58.8 percent.

Chelsea begin with six Premier League matches in London, with Everton on 17 October the first fixture requiring travel outside of the capital.

Chelsea’s most recent opening-day away match was in 2022/23, when Jorginho’s penalty earned victory at Everton. That was also Chelsea’s last opening-weekend win, followed by two draws and one defeat.

Xabi Alonso's first Premier League goal came against Fulham at Craven Cottage for Liverpool in October 2004.

For the second season running, and the 16th time overall, we have begun a league campaign with a London derby.

Twenty-seven Chelsea players have scored on their Premier League debut for the club, most recently Christopher Nkunku at Wolves in December 2023. Mick Harford was the first, against Oldham on the opening day of the inaugural Premier League season in 1992.

The Blues have won four of our past five Premier League London derbies, losing the other.

Reece James is the current Chelsea player with the most matchday one appearances for us in the Premier League (five).

If selected, Danny Welbeck will become the first player ever to make a Premier League appearance for each of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.

Fulham stats

Last season

Finished 11th in the Premier League with 52 points.

Lost 0-1 at home to Southampton in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Lost 1-2 at Newcastle in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

Harry Wilson was Fulham's top scorer with 11 goals in all competitions.

Fulham scored 47 Premier League goals last season, their lowest total in the competition since their 2020/21 relegation campaign, when they managed 27.

Bernd Leno has played every Premier League match in each of Fulham’s past three seasons in the competition.

The Cottagers have won three of their last four Premier League matches at Craven Cottage (one defeat).

Fulham have won their opening game in one of their last six Premier League seasons (two draws, three defeats), beating Everton in 2023/24.

They won three (Brentford, Chelsea, Tottenham) and lost three (Arsenal, Crystal Palace, West Ham) of their six home London derbies last season. The Cottagers have lost their previous three London derbies on the opening weekend of a Premier League campaign.

Marco Silva left Fulham for Benfica in the summer after five seasons as head coach, following the expiry of his contract. Newly appointed head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has never managed a side against Chelsea. As a player he won two and lost four of the nine games against the Blues for Liverpool between 2007 and 2009.

Discipline

Wesley Fofana is suspended (two matches) following his second red card of the season against Sunderland on the final day of last season.

Fulham’s Joachim Andersen is also suspended.

Match Officials

Referee: John Brooks

Assistants: Adam Nunn, Dan Cook

Fourth official: Paul Tierney

VAR: Darren England

Assistant VAR: Adrian Holmes

John Brooks refereed one Chelsea match last season: our January Premier League meeting with Brentford at Stamford Bridge.