Chelsea Prepares for Season Opener Against Crystal Palace

LONDON, England — Chelsea Football Club is set to kick off the 2025–26 Premier League season with a home match against Crystal Palace on Sunday, August 17. The world champions are fresh off a successful summer that included winning the Club World Cup.

Manager Enzo Maresca has seen his squad grow with several new signings, including Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens. The Blues are eager to carry momentum from their preseason victories over Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan into their opening match.

Despite Chelsea’s optimism, the match presents challenges, as Palace has historically performed well against stronger teams. Maresca highlighted the importance of being ready, stating, “Sunday’s game will be very difficult… It shows how complicated it will be on Sunday.”

Chelsea’s lineup is expected to feature Robert Sánchez as goalkeeper, with a defense led by Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah. New signing Jorrel Hato could make his Premier League debut in Colwill’s absence due to injury.

Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández are set to anchor the midfield, while Cole Palmer will play a key attacking role. Pedro Neto is also anticipated to start, followed by Joao Pedro as the primary forward. Notably, Chelsea will be without Levi Colwill, who is out for the season with an ACL injury, and both Mykhailo Mudryk and Nicolas Jackson are suspended.

On the other side, Crystal Palace comes into the match after winning the FA Cup in May. Manager Oliver Glasner has bolstered his squad with new signings, including Borna Sosa and Walter Benitez. However, the Eagles will miss midfielder Daichi Kamada, who is out due to injury.

“No player is returning from injury so not Eddie Nketiah, not Matheus França because they can’t train with the team at the moment,” Glasner stated in his pre-match press conference.

The match is set for a 2 PM kickoff at Stamford Bridge, where both teams will be looking to start the season on a positive note.