Get ready for another thrilling West London derby as Chelsea take on rivals Fulham in the Premier League’s early Saturday showdown, the third of four consecutive all-London clashes for the Blues.
Enzo Maresca’s squad was unstoppable in their last outing, roaring back from an early deficit to crush West Ham United 5-1 in gameweek two. Meanwhile, Fulham battled to their second straight 1-1 draw, holding firm against Manchester United at Craven Cottage.
Match Preview
For a tense 20 minutes on August 22, Chelsea fans felt the weight of worry. Star playmaker Cole Palmer was ruled out pre-game with an injury, and West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta stunned the Blues with an early screamer. But Stamford Bridge soon erupted as Chelsea flipped the script. Joao Pedro kicked off the rout with his first Premier League goal for the club, followed by strikes from Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, and Trevoh Chalobah, leaving West Ham’s Graham Potter shell-shocked.
The night turned even sweeter for Chelsea supporters as 18-year-old winger Estevao Willian made history, becoming the youngest player to record a Premier League assist for the Blues at just 18 years and 120 days, setting up Fernandez’s tap-in. Maresca’s side is on fire, boasting 10 wins in their last 12 matches across all competitions, including their Club World Cup triumph. Their dominant display at West Ham erased memories of a lackluster attacking performance against Crystal Palace. Fun fact: Chelsea haven’t failed to win both of their opening two home games in a Premier League season since 2002-03, and they’ve never gone scoreless in their first two home matches in the Premier League era, last doing so in 1986.
On the other side, Fulham head into this clash unbeaten in the 2025-26 season and feeling hard-done-by after their draw with Manchester United. A controversial Rodrigo Muniz own goal, following what looked like a clear push by Leny Yoro, gave United the lead. Fulham’s frustrations grew when Calvin Bassey’s tug on Mason Mount earned United a penalty, but Bruno Fernandes’s wayward strike let them off the hook. Enter Emile Smith Rowe, who leveled the score with his first touch as a substitute, ensuring Fulham earned a deserved point. They kept United on their toes, especially from corners, exploiting goalkeeper Altay Bayindir’s weaknesses.
Fulham carried that energy into their midweek EFL Cup clash, cruising past Bristol City 2-0 to set up a third-round tie with Cambridge United. But their away form is a concern—Marco Silva’s men haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last nine Premier League road games. While they pulled off a shock 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge last Boxing Day, back-to-back victories there remain elusive.
Injury-wise, Chelsea are sweating over Cole Palmer, who Maresca confirmed will miss this derby due to a lingering groin issue that worsened during the West Ham warm-up. Pedro and Liam Delap are likely to lead the line again, with Levi Colwill (ACL), Benoit Badiashile (unspecified), Romeo Lavia (unspecified), and Omari Kellyman (thigh) also sidelined. Mykhaylo Mudryk remains unavailable, serving a suspension for alleged anti-doping violations.
Fulham, however, are nearly at full strength. Harry Wilson is their only doubt after taking a knock to the foot against Bristol City. Raul Jimenez shone in the EFL Cup, forcing an own goal and scoring a beauty from a Harrison Reed corner, but he’s expected to make way for Rodrigo Muniz, who netted the decisive goal in last year’s Stamford Bridge upset.
