Chelsea and Crystal Palace will be eager to kick-start their 2025/26 Premier League campaigns on a high when they face off at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Gameweek 1 of the 2025/26 Premier League season continues on Sunday, with the day featuring three fixtures. The action on Sunday will start with two simultaneous matches, including Chelsea vs Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea could not have ended Enzo Maresca’s debut season any better, following up on the UEFA Europa Conference League triumph with the surprisingly comfortable win over Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final. The run to the last game of that competition meant the West London club’s pre-season campaign began last week.
However, the Blues remain in excellent touch, having clinched comfortable wins over Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan in a span of three days. Meanwhile, another summer transfer window has seen Chelsea being busy in the market; they have welcomed eight players while parting ways with over a dozen footballers, either on loan or permanent deals.
On the other hand, Crystal Palace began the 2025/26 season on the best possible note, coming from a goal down to beat Liverpool on penalties in the FA Community Shield tie. As for the South London club’s activity in the summer transfer window, Oliver Glasner’s squad has not changed significantly.
However, two pivotal figures at Crystal Palace have witnessed speculation surrounding their futures, with Marc Guehi entering the final 12 months of his contract and Eberechi Eze attracting interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. Meanwhile, the Eagles have lost only one game heading into the 2025/26 Premier League season, while the Community Shield tie ended in triumph.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Crystal Palace come from a goal down to hold Chelsea to a 1-1 draw, with Eberechi Eze scoring the equaliser. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the upcoming meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Chelsea
The pre-season campaign and the FIFA Club World Cup took some casualties from Enzo Maresca’s squad. The Chelsea manager will be bereft of the services of as many as seven first-team players vs Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Levi Colwill is the most notable absentee, with the English international recovering from a long-term knee injury. The 22-year-old centre-back accompanies Benoit Badiashile (knock), Romeo Lavia (match fitness), and Omari Kellyman (hamstring) in the treatment room.
Meanwhile, Nicolas Jackson is serving a suspension, and Mykhailo Mudryk is indefinitely unavailable after failing a doping test several months ago. Maresca has been sweating over Wesley Fofana’s fitness, with the Frenchman facing a late fitness test to determine his availability. Additionally, Trevoh Chalobah has recovered from a minor issue to be ready to take on Crystal Palace.
Robert Sanchez will take his spot between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Crystal Palace on Sunday. The backline should feature Reece James, Tosin Adarabioyo, Chalobah, and Marc Cucurella.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in the double pivot. Cole Palmer will reprise the no. 10 role, with Pedro Neto and Jamie Gittens being the two wide attackers. Finally, Joao Pedro will lead the line for Chelsea against Crystal Palace, with Liam Delap waiting for his first Premier League start for the West London club.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Tosin Adarabioyo, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Gittens; Joao Pedro
Crystal Palace
Like his counterpart in the Chelsea dugout, Oliver Glasner has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of the trip to Stamford Bridge. The Crystal Palace manager will be without half a dozen first-team players on Sunday.
Marc Guehi is fit and available after struggling with cramps in the FA Community Shield tie with Liverpool last weekend. However, Daichi Kamada will not play after picking up a knee injury in the same game. The Japanese international accompanies Caleb Kporha (back), Chadi Riad (knee), Matheus Franca (groin), Cheick Doucoure (knee), and Eddie Nketiah (hamstring) on the sidelines.
Dean Henderson is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Crystal Palace lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs Chelsea on Sunday. The central defensive unit should feature Chris Richards, Maxence Lacroix, and Marc Guehi. Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell will start as the two wing-backs, with Borna Sosa waiting for his Premier League bow.
The wide duo will protect the centre-backs and provide width in the final third. As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Adam Wharton and Will Hughes, with the latter replacing Kamada. Finally, Jean-Philippe Mateta will spearhead the Crystal Palace attack against Chelsea, with Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr being the creative attackers.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze; Mateta
Key Stats
- Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 15 Premier League games vs Crystal Palace (W13 D2), their longest active run against any of the 19 other clubs in the 2025/26 season. The Eagles’ most recent victory at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League came in April 2017 under Sam Allardyce (2-1). Since then, they have failed to emerge victorious on their eight trips in Premier League action, losing seven of those matches (D1).
- Chelsea will begin a Premier League campaign with a London derby for the fifth time; they won their previous four games (vs West Ham United in 2000, Charlton Athletic in 2002, West Ham in 2016 and Crystal Palace in 2021). The Blues have also clinched a victory the last two times their first league game has been against the previous season’s FA Cup winners, beating Portsmouth 4-0 in 2008 and Manchester United 1-0 in 2004.
- Chelsea lost 2-0 against Manchester City in Gameweek 1 in the 2024/25 Premier League season. The Blues last suffered a defeat in their season-opening clash in consecutive campaigns in 1997/98/1998/99 (vs Coventry City both times). On the other hand, Crystal Palace have lost their opening league match in three of the four most recent campaigns, with the exception being a 1-0 win at Sheffield United in 2023/24.
- Chelsea won five of their final six Premier League games in the 2024/25 season (L1), as many as they had in their previous 16 (D5 L6).
- Coming into Gameweek 1 of the 2025/26 Premier League season, no club has had more players score on debut for them in the competition than Chelsea (27, level with Aston Villa). The Blues will witness multiple maiden Premier League outings this weekend.
Player to Watch
Cole Palmer
While Eberechi Eze, Jean-Philippe Mateta, and Joao Pedro were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Cole Palmer as the Player to Watch for Sunday’s Premier League clash between Chelsea and Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.
The English international has had a hand in four goals in his three Premier League starts for Chelsea against Crystal Palace (G1 A3). However, Palmer has not scored from open play in his last 16 Premier League games for the Blues, since finding the back of the net against Bournemouth in January. The 23-year-old looked in incredible touch in the two pre-season games, and he will be the go-to man for Enzo Maresca this weekend.
Prediction
Chelsea 2-1 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace showed in the FA Community Shield tie that opponents cannot take Oliver Glasner’s charges lightly. So, while the Blues showed impressive form during their pre-season campaign, they must remain vigilant throughout the game. Meanwhile, it has been difficult to separate the two teams in recent meetings, and that might be the case this weekend.
Chelsea clinched a 3-0 victory in the only other season-opening Premier League clash between Chelsea and Crystal Palace, and Sunday’s match should witness as many goals. However, this tie should be much closer, and The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win over a spirited Crystal Palace for Enzo Maresca and his charges.