Chelsea vs Crystal Palace: Kick-off time, how to watch, stats, team news

Club World Cup champions Chelsea start their 2025-26 Premier League season with a London derby, hosting FA Cup champions and Community Shield winners Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Enzo Maresca has been careful to downplay the hype around his team after the summer's success in the United States, saying "I don't pay attention to what the other people say about us," and bemoaning a lack of activity regarding replacing Levi Colwill, who is out long-term with an ACL rupture. "I think we need a central defender," he said in the pre-match press conference. "We are looking for an internal solution but as I said, the club know exactly what I think."

They have, though, done some serious business already in the transfer window, signing Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Estevao and Jamie Gittens to revamp their attack around talisman Cole Palmer.

Crystal Palace, meanwhile, will be looking to build on their sensational end to last season (and start to this, with the win over Liverpool), and have kept their squad together over the summer, for now. Interest still swirls around their playmaker-in-chief Eberechi Eze and captain Marc Guehi and whether they can keep hold of them could well define how the season goes for Oliver Glasner.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of the game.

How to watch:

The match will be available on Sky Sports in the UK, USA Network in the United States, Stan Sport in Australia, and JioHotstar in India. You can also follow ESPN's live updates.

Key Details:

Date: Sunday, August 17 at 2 p.m. BST (9 a.m. E.T.; 6:30 p.m. IST and 11.00 p.m. AEST)
Venue: Stamford Bridge, London
Referee: Darren England
VAR: James Bell

Injury news:

Chelsea

Wesley Fofana, D: hamstring, doubt
Omari Kellyman, M: hamstring, doubt
Nicolas Jackson, F: suspended, OUT
Benoit Badiashile, D: leg, OUT, est. return mid-Sep
Levi Colwill, D: ACL, OUT, est. late-Apr
Romeo Lavia, M: strain, OUT est. return mid-Sep

Crystal Palace

Caleb Kporha, D/M: back, OUT, est. return early-Sep
Chadi Riad, D: knee, OUT, est. return late Nov
Cheick Doucoure, M: knee, OUT, est. return early-Nov
Daichi Kamada, M: knee, DOUBT
Eddie Nketiah, F: hamstring, OUT, est. return mid-Oct
Matheus Franca, F: muscle, OUT, est. return late-Aug

Expected Lineups:

Chelsea

GK: Robert Sánchez
RB: Malo Gusto | CB: Trevoh Chalobah | CB: Tosin Adrabioyo | LB: Marc Cucurella
CM: Moises Caicedo | CM: Reece James
RW: Cole Palmer | CAM: Enzo Fernandez | LW: Pedro Neto
CF: Joao Pedro

Crystal Palace

GK: Dean Henderson
CB: Chris Richards | CB: Maxence Lacroix | CB: Marc Guehi
RM: Daniel Munoz | CM: Will Hughes | CM: Adam Wharton | LM: Tyrick Mitchell
AM: Ismaila Sarr | AM: Eberechi Eze
CF: Jean-Philippe Mateta

Stats:

• Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 15 Premier League matches against Crystal Palace (13 wins, two draws), their longest active run against any side in the Premier League this season.

• Crystal Palace's last victory at Stamford Bridge in the league came in April 2017 (under Sam Allardyce).

• This is the fifth time Chelsea have begun a league campaign with a London derby, winning each of the previous four.

• Crystal Palace have lost their opening league match in three of the last four seasons, with the exception being a 1-0 win at newly promoted Sheffield United in 2023-24.