Crystal Palace vs Chelsea

Chelsea vs Crystal Palace Match Preview

Match details

Fixture: Chelsea vs Crystal Palace

Tournament: Premier League - Regular Season - 1

Kick-off: Sun Aug 17, 2025, 13:00 GMT

Stadium: Stamford Bridge

Confirmed lineups

Chelsea (4-2-3-1):

• Robert Sánchez
• R. James
• Joshua Kofi Acheampong
• T. Chalobah
• Marc Cucurella
• E. Fernández
• M. Caicedo
• Pedro Neto
• C. Palmer
• J. Bynoe-Gittens
• João Pedro

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

• D. Henderson
• C. Richards
• M. Lacroix
• M. Guéhi
• D. Muñoz
• A. Wharton
• W. Hughes
• T. Mitchell
• I. Sarr
• E. Eze
• J. Mateta

Missing players

Chelsea:

• B. Badiashile (Muscle Injury)
• L. Colwill (Ruptured Cruciate Ligament)

Crystal Palace:

• D. Kamada (Knee Problems)
• E. Nketiah (Hamstring Injury)
• C. Doucouré (Knee Surgery)
• C. Riad (Ruptured Cruciate Ligament)
• Matheus França (Adductor Muscle Tear)
• C. Kporha (Back Injury)

Match background

Chelsea enters the 2025/26 Premier League season with high expectations after a successful previous campaign, securing the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup titles. Under the guidance of manager Enzo Maresca, the Blues aim to build on this momentum and improve their league performance. The squad has been bolstered with new signings, including Brazilian forward Estevao, who is expected to make an impact in the upcoming season. However, the team faces challenges with injuries to key players like Levi Colwill, who is expected to miss six to nine months due to an ACL injury sustained in training. This has prompted the club to seek additional defensive reinforcements. Crystal Palace, managed by Oliver Glasner, had a mixed pre-season, with one win, two draws, and two losses in their last five matches. Despite this, they secured a notable victory over Liverpool in the Community Shield, indicating their potential to challenge top teams. The Eagles will look to capitalize on this confidence as they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Both teams have a history of competitive encounters, with Chelsea having a strong home record against Palace, making this London derby an exciting prospect for fans.

Head-to-head record

• Played 62
• Won 35
• Drawn 15
• Lost 12

Prediction

Considering Chelsea's strong home form and recent successes, they are favored to secure a victory in this opening fixture. A potential betting tip is to back Chelsea to win, given their historical dominance over Crystal Palace and the current squad's capabilities.