Two fresh faces begin their West London managerial journeys with a derby on Monday night, as Chelsea make the short trip to Craven Cottage and take on Fulham.
Compatriots and former Real Madrid teammates Álvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso are the new men at the helm of the Cottagers and Blues, respectively. While Alonso was confirmed as Liam Rosenior’s long-term replacement at the end of last season, Arbeloa took the Fulham job after a short-lived spell succeeding Alonso at Real Madrid.
The new Fulham boss saw out the second half of the season in the Spanish capital and now faces the tough challenge of following in Marco Silva’s footsteps. The Cottagers achieved mid-table stability under the Portuguese after returning to the Premier League in 2022, and are now seen to be taking a punt on an inexperienced manager.
Thus, Fulham have been tipped to endure a tricky season and may even find themselves in the relegation scrap.
Chelsea, on the contrary, hold far loftier ambitions now that Alonso is in charge and wields more power than any of his predecessors since José Mourinho a decade ago. With no European soccer to think about this year, the Blues should also be fresher than their rivals as the season progresses, and they’ll be keen to return to the Champions League in short order.
Watch and Enjoy Fulham vs Chelsea in a Premier League Live Match
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