fulham vs chelsea

Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa face each other in the managerial dugouts on Monday night as Fulham hosts Chelsea in an opening-round Premier League match. The old friends, who played 262 games together for Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Spain, both arrive after being sacked by Real Madrid last season. Alonso was appointed Chelsea manager in May, while Arbeloa took charge of Fulham in early July.

For his first competitive match as Chelsea manager, Alonso named summer signings Maxence Lacroix and Morgan Rogers in the starting lineup. Robert Sanchez starts in goal behind a back three of Josh Acheampong, Lacroix, and Levi Colwill, with Malo Gusto and Jorrel Hato also included. Captain Reece James and Romeo Lavia occupy midfield roles, while Rogers makes his competitive debut in an attack alongside Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro.

Uncertainty surrounds the availability of certain players for Chelsea, as Moisés Caicedo is completely out of the matchday squad with an unspecified issue, and Marco Palestra is missing following recent fitness concerns. Fulham’s starting eleven features Leno, Castagne, Bassey, Cuenca, Robinson, Berge, Iwobi, King, Bobb, Gonzalo, and Palacios. Google Trending Now shows increased search interest in us.