The Premier League returns to Stamford Bridge on Sunday as Chelsea host Crystal Palace in a London derby that promises both quality and intensity.
Chelsea come into the new season on the back of a trophy-laden 2024/25 campaign, winning the Conference League and Club World Cup while securing a fourth-place finish. Enzo Maresca’s side ended last season in strong form, winning five of their final six league matches, and their underlying data backed up their results.
At home, they posted the third-best record in the league (W12-D5-L2), averaging 1.65 xG per game with a +0.39 xG differential, and failing to score just once. The summer has brought further attacking options, with Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Liam Delap joining Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo in a deep and balanced squad.
Crystal Palace arrive as FA Cup holders after a memorable run last season, which also saw them finish ninth. Oliver Glasner’s men were among the league’s most efficient travellers, ranking fourth for away xPTS (30.36) and keeping clean sheets in 37% of away matches.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez, James, Chalobah, Tosin, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez, Neto, Palmer, Gittens, Joao Pedro
Crystal Palace (3-4-3): Henderson, Munoz, Mitchell, Lacroix, Guehi, Kamada, Wharton, Richards, Sarr, Eze, Mateta,
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