Chelsea vs Crystal Palace: The 2025-26 Premier League season for Chelsea kicks off at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with the world champions hosting Crystal Palace.
Coming off a successful summer tour in the United States that culminated in a second Club World Cup title, Chelsea’s squad, led by manager Enzo Maresca, appears to be in strong form as they seek to challenge for the league title.
Their condensed pre-season schedule included victories against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan. In contrast, Crystal Palace has been inactive in the transfer market since their Community Shield win over Liverpool, and the composition of their team remains uncertain as the transfer window nears its close.
Here is Mainwap’s breakdown of the clash
Match Details
Location: London, England
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Date: Sunday, August 17
Kick-off Time: 2 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT
Referee: Darren England
VAR: James Bell
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace H2H Record (Last 5 Games)
- Chelsea: 3 wins
- Crystal Palace: 0 wins
- Draws: 2
- Last meeting: Crystal Palace 1–1 Chelsea (Jan. 4, 2025) – Premier League
Current Form for Both Teams (All Competitions)
| Chelsea | Crystal Palace |
|---|---|
| Chelsea 4–1 AC Milan – 10/08/25 | Crystal Palace 2–2 (3–2p) Liverpool – 10/08/25 |
| Chelsea 2–0 Bayer Leverkusen – 08/08/25 | Augsburg 1–0 Crystal Palace – 01/08/25 |
| Chelsea 3–0 PSG – 13/07/25 | Augsburg 1–3 Crystal Palace – 01/08/25 |
| Fluminense 0–2 Chelsea – 08/07/25 | Crawley Town 0–3 Crystal Palace – 25/07/25 |
| Palmeiras 1–2 Chelsea – 05/07/25 | Crystal Palace 1–0 Millwall – 12/07/25 |
Chelsea Team News
Nicolas Jackson is currently out of favor and will miss Chelsea’s season opener against Crystal Palace due to a suspension he received in a match against Newcastle United back in May.
The new signing, João Pedro, who has had a strong start with the club, is expected to lead the attack. Two other new faces, Jorrel Hato and Jamie Gittens, are also set to make their debuts.
While Trevoh Chalobah is available for selection, Chelsea will be without Benoît Badiashile, Roméo Lavia, and Levi Colwill due to injuries. Wesley Fofana, however, has a chance of playing.
Crystal Palace Team News
Crystal Palace faces its own challenges with transfer speculation surrounding two key players. Midfielder Eberechi Eze and captain Marc Guehi, who has drawn interest from Tottenham and Liverpool, respectively, are both expected to start the season opener against Chelsea, according to manager Oliver Glasner.
The Palace boss would not comment on their long-term futures. The team will be without several injured players, including Daichi Kamada, Eddie Nketiah, Matheus França, Cheick Doucouré, and Chadi Riad.
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace correct score prediction
Chelsea may be feeling confident, but they should not underestimate Crystal Palace. The Eagles’ recent Community Shield win demonstrated just how tough they are, and they’ve shown a knack for performing in big games under manager Oliver Glasner.
They’ll be eager to exploit any overconfidence from the Blues. Although transfer rumors surrounding key players like Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze might affect their focus, Palace has more than enough talent to pose a threat.
Their balanced system, anchored by the impressive Ismaïla Sarr and midfield dynamo Adam Wharton, can cause real issues. We expect this to be a fierce contest, but we believe Chelsea will find a way to emerge with all three points.
Prediction: Chelsea 2-0 Crystal Palace
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