Chelsea vs Crystal Palace: Preview, Kick-off Details, Team Updates and Probable Lineups

Chelsea will host Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge in the opening round of the 2025/2026 Premier League season on August 17, 2025, at 4pm East Africa Time.

Referee Darren England will oversee this London derby as both teams look to start their campaigns on a positive note.

The match represents the first competitive fixture for both sides in the new Premier League season, with each team eager to establish early momentum in what promises to be another fiercely contested campaign.

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Both Chelsea and Crystal Palace enter the new Premier League season with clean slates, positioned 11th and 12th respectively in the preliminary standings before any matches have been played.

With zero points on the board and the entire season ahead, this opening fixture provides an opportunity for either side to make an early statement.

Chelsea, under new manager Enzo Maresca, will be aiming to improve on their previous season's performance and push toward European qualification, while Crystal Palace under Oliver Glasner will be looking to establish themselves as a solid mid-table team with ambitions to challenge for a top-half finish.

Chelsea come into the Premier League opener in exceptional form, having won all five of their recent matches across different competitions.

The Blues have been particularly impressive in their pre-season preparations, defeating AC Milan 4-1 and Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 in friendly matches.

Prior to that, Chelsea enjoyed a successful FIFA Club World Cup campaign, recording victories against Paris Saint-Germain 3-0, Fluminense 2-1 and Palmeiras 2-1.

Crystal Palace, meanwhile, have had mixed results in their pre-season, with one win, two draws, and two losses in their last five matches. They drew with Liverpool in the Community Shield, lost to Augsburg before beating them in a second friendly, and had mixed results against Mainz 05 with a loss and a 1-1 draw.

The recent history between Chelsea and Crystal Palace has been closely contested, with their last five Premier League encounters producing two wins for Chelsea, two draws, and one draw. Their most recent meeting ended in a 1:1 draw at Selhurst Park on January 4, 2025, with Jean-Philippe Mateta equalizing for Palace in the 82nd minute after Cole Palmer had given Chelsea the lead in the 14th minute.

Earlier in the 2024/25 season, the teams also drew 1:1 at Stamford Bridge, with Nicolas Jackson scoring for Chelsea and Eberechi Eze equalizing for Palace.

Chelsea's last victory over Palace came in February 2024 at Selhurst Park, where the Blues came from behind to win 3:1 thanks to a Conor Gallagher brace and an Enzo Fernandez goal after Jefferson Lerma had put Palace ahead.

Chelsea face a difficult start to the new campaign with several key players unavailable. Defender Levi Colwill is set to miss the majority of the season after rupturing his ACL, while Romeo Lavia and Benoît Badiashile remain sidelined as they continue their recoveries. Up front, Nicolas Jackson is suspended following his red card at the end of last term.

There is some good news for the Blues as Trevoh Chalobah is fit and ready to face his former club, and Wesley Fofana could finally return after a lengthy knee injury layoff. However, Mykhailo Mudryk is still serving a suspension after failing a drug test.

Crystal Palace also head into the opener with a mixed outlook. New arrivals Borna Sosa and Walter Benítez are available to make their debuts, but midfield dynamo Daichi Kamada will be absent after being forced off with an injury during the Community Shield. The Eagles are also without Eddie Nketiah, Chadi Riad, Caleb Kporha, Cheick Doucouré, and Matheus França, all of whom are struggling with fitness issues.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1):

Sánchez; James, Chalobah, Acheampong, Cucurella; Enzo, Caicedo; Estevão, Palmer, Neto; João Pedro.

Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1):

Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Muñoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Sarr, Esse; Mateta.