A new-look Chelsea team under the guidance of Xabi Alonso play their first Premier League game of the season as they lock horns with West London rivals Fulham.
Fulham finished 11th in the Premier League last season with 52 points. The Cottagers will have been disappointed to miss out on Europe having been in the mix for the majority of the campaign, only to be let down by a subpar finish to the season.
They come into this season with a new manager in the shape of former Real Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa. Arbeloa is a divisive appointment and projections on Fulham seem to be mixed, with some thinking they're likely to struggle while others are tipping them to excel.
They've struggled in pre-season, winning just two of their six games. They also had a tough end to last season, winning only two of their final seven matches.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have been all change themselves over the summer, bringing in manager Xabi Alonso while (typically) making a host of new signings.
Opinions on the Blues' prospects are mostly tentative but there is a belief that Xabi Alonso is the best manager they've got their hands on in the BlueCo era and with no European football, they should be able to put together a strong league campaign.
Morgan Rogers has been brought in for a huge fee while Maxence Lacroix, Pep Chavarria, Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck have joined the fold - amongst several other names.
Chelsea won three of their six pre-season games, ending strongly with wins over AC Milan (3-0) and Real Sociedad (3-1).
Joao Pedro enjoyed a prolific pre-season after missing out on the World Cup, netting seven goals in total. After netting 15 goals last season, he'll feel primed for a prolific campaign this time around.
Chelsea have enjoyed plenty of success at Craven Cottage over the years, winning six of their last eight visits, and we fancy them to get their campaign off to a winning start.
Fulham 1-2 Chelsea
