The 2025-26 Premier League season kicks off at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon with a fascinating clash, as the newly-crowned FIFA Club World Cup champions Chelsea host the FA Community Shield winners, Crystal Palace.
Both teams enter the new campaign in high spirits. Chelsea are full of confidence following their global triumph in the United States and a perfect, albeit brief, pre-season campaign. Crystal Palace, meanwhile, are buoyant after their historic penalty shootout victory over Liverpool at Wembley last weekend secured their first piece of major silverware.
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side will feature a number of new faces making their official competitive debuts. Recent summer signings Jorrel Hato and Jamie Gittens are both expected to be in the starting lineup, with fellow new arrival João Pedro set to lead the attack. However, the Blues have been hit by a major blow with the long-term ACL injury to key defender Levi Colwill.
Crystal Palace’s preparations for the new season continue to be overshadowed by intense transfer speculation surrounding their two best players. Eberechi Eze and Marc Guéhi, who are top targets for Tottenham and Liverpool respectively, are both expected to start despite the uncertainty clouding their futures at the club.
Predicted Lineups
- Chelsea Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; James, Chalobah, Hato, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernández; Neto, Palmer, Gittens; Pedro.
- Crystal Palace Predicted Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Muñoz, Hughes, Wharton, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze; Mateta.
Score Prediction This promises to be a tight and highly competitive encounter to start the season. While Chelsea are the world champions and are playing at home, Crystal Palace have proven under manager Oliver Glasner that they are a tough and resilient opponent for any top side. With transfer distractions potentially affecting Palace’s key players but Chelsea still integrating their own new signings after a short pre-season, a hard-fought draw could be on the cards.
Prediction: Chelsea 1–1 Crystal Palace