🔊 The opening round of the English Premier League is packed with headlines and promises a true championship clash as Chelsea take on Crystal Palace. At Stamford Bridge in London, these two local sides, both recent titleholders, will face off. The difference lies in the nature of their triumphs: the Blues have excelled on the international stage, while the Eagles have found success domestically. Our prediction delves into which achievements hold more weight and could tip the scales in this encounter.

Head-to-Head

📊 Over the last 10 encounters, the teams met once in the FA Cup (a 2-0 victory for Chelsea) and nine times in the Premier League. The Blues came out on top in seven of those league matches, but in the 2024/25 season, the clubs settled for a 1-1 draw on two occasions.

Chelsea Team Overview

🔵 Enzo Maresca's first season at the helm of the club was nothing short of outstanding: he guided the team back into the Champions League with a 4th place finish in the Premier League and clinched the Conference League, making Chelsea the only club to have won every European trophy. The records for the Blues didn't stop there — they also became the first champions of the new Club World Cup format, earning the distinction of being the only club to hold titles from both versions of the tournament. In the CWC final, the Blues left no chance for the Champions League holders, PSG, with a 3-0 victory. Following their success in the USA, Chelsea's first team continued their winning streak in friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen (2-0) and AC Milan (4-1).

📝 During the offseason, as is customary under Todd Boehly, Chelsea have been very active in the transfer market, striving to comply with UEFA's financial limits. The €288 million spent this summer is unlikely to make a significant dent in the American owner's wallet. However, to avoid transfer restrictions, the club orchestrated a massive sale totaling €224.4 million — indicating that management continues to work diligently in the market. Among the fresh acquisitions is 19-year-old Ajax academy product Jorrel Hato. A versatile player primarily positioned as a left-back, he spent 80% of his 31 Eredivisie appearances last season playing centrally. This talented youngster can cover multiple positions and is set to be a key player for Chelsea's first team.

Crystal Palace Team Overview

⚪️ Crystal Palace finished the 2024/25 Premier League season in 12th place, a familiar mid-table position for them. However, under Oliver Glasner's leadership, the season became a breakthrough for the Eagles as they clinched their first major trophy in the club's 150-year history—the FA Cup. Along the way, Palace defeated Fulham and Aston Villa (both 3-0), and secured a dramatic victory over Manchester City in the final (1-0). This triumph grants the Glaziers their first-ever entry into European competitions. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled them out of the Europa League, so they will have to settle for the Conference League. At the start of the current season, the club added another trophy to their cabinet by making a comeback in the English Super Cup against Liverpool (2-2 in regular time and 3-2 on penalties).

📝 A significant achievement for Crystal Palace in the transfer market so far has been retaining their squad intact. The most coveted players this summer have been Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eberechi Eze. Atalanta are keen to sign the Frenchman, who was Palace's top scorer in the Premier League with 14 goals, for €40 million. Meanwhile, the Englishman might follow in the footsteps of former teammate Michael Olise, with Bayern showing interest. Tottenham and Newcastle have also set their sights on Eze, though Crystal Palace have set a release clause of €60 million for him.

Latest news

Chelsea

🎙 "I'm really excited, I'm so happy to be here. I've thought a lot about my future and wanted to take the next step in my career. Chelsea is the best place for that, so I'm very happy," shared Jorrel Hato after his move to London.

❌ Chelsea continue to bolster their transfer budget and are expecting another batch of players to depart. As a result, Raheem Sterling, Christopher Nkunku, and Renatu Veiga will miss the opening match. Nicolas Jackson and Axel Disasi are also doubtful for the same reason. During the Club World Cup, Benoit Badiashile and Romeo Lavia picked up injuries; both are still recovering and remain out of the squad. Over the summer break, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill found themselves on the injury list. Colwill tore his ACL and will miss most of the season. Chalobah injured his ankle but, according to Enzo Maresca, should be ready for Crystal Palace. The same goes for Wesley Fofana, who has been sidelined since March.

Crystal Palace

🎙 Amidst all the transfer rumors, the "Glaziers" continue to revel in their historic titles. Local favorite Dean Henderson, known for his chants towards the home stand in the style of Shakira's "Waka-Waka," shares his excitement about the Super Cup victory: "The emotions are just incredible. The coach told us we'd have our moments in the second half, and we earned this win. Our penalty preparation was top-notch—thanks to everyone working behind the scenes. It's amazing to beat Liverpool. They were favorites before the match, boasting incredible players and a great team. But we've won two trophies in three months—this is truly a historic moment for our club."

❌ Cheick Doucouré remains sidelined since the middle of last season. He underwent surgery on his cruciate ligament in January and still hasn't recovered. Forward Eddie Nketiah suffered a hamstring injury at the start of preseason and missed it entirely—his return timeline remains uncertain. Daichi Kamada will miss one or two games, according to Oliver Glasner, after being substituted in the 30th minute of the Super Cup match.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The main referee for the match is Darren England. He averages 4 yellow cards per match over 74 Premier League games. In his last 10 matches, England has handed out an average of 4.1 yellow cards.

The upcoming opponents frequently find themselves on the receiving end of yellow cards, with nearly identical averages over their last 10 official games: 4.6 for Crystal Palace and 4.5 for their rivals. Their head-to-head encounters are equally intense, with 33 yellow cards shown in their last 8 Premier League meetings, averaging 4.1 per game. Clearly, neither the referee nor the London clubs are known for keeping their cool. Therefore, betting on over 3.5 total yellow cards seems like a reasonable choice.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

In 8 of their last 9 head-to-head clashes, no more than 3 goals were scored, including five consecutive matches at Stamford Bridge. We recommend considering the odds for under 3.5 total goals and leaning in that direction. It's unlikely to be an open game.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Crystal Palace hold the edge in total corners over their last 10 official matches, averaging 9.9 compared to their opponent's 9.4. However, in their head-to-head meetings over the same period, the total exceeded 10.5 corners only twice out of 10 games. Even when Chelsea have been the dominant side, they've delivered fewer than 7.5 corners in 8 out of those 10 encounters. We suggest focusing on under 11.5 total corners.

Bookmakers unsurprisingly list Chelsea as clear favorites. However, Oliver Glasner's squad is not as straightforward as they might seem, as proven in their finals against Liverpool and Manchester City. The "Eagles" boast a cohesive team, set to start the Premier League opener with an almost full-strength lineup. The transfer window hasn't thinned their ranks, and the busy schedule hasn't sidelined key creators. Crystal Palace have a consistent trend of finding the net, scoring in 18 out of their last 20 Premier League matches, including nine out of ten away games. We anticipate a potential draw with a scoreline of 1-1 in the upcoming game. Both teams play attractive football, making it hard to favor one over the other. Editorial choice: both teams to score (yes).