Fulham host Chelsea at Craven Cottage on Monday night in the opening match of the 2026-27 Premier League season, with both clubs fielding a new head coach for the first time.
Fulham and Chelsea finished level on 52 points last term, Chelsea a place above Fulham only on goal difference, and both have since removed their manager: Marco Silva after five years at Craven Cottage, and Liam Rosenior, sacked by Chelsea in April after only three months in charge.
Arbeloa has brought in Real Madrid duo Gonzalo García and César Palacios to help replace the departed Harry Wilson and Raúl Jiménez, while Alonso, who succeeded Rosenior in the summer, has overseen a heavy outlay, including a club-record fee for Morgan Rogers. The two head coaches were teammates for close to a decade at Liverpool and Real Madrid, and will face each other for the first time as Premier League rivals.
Date: Monday, 24 August 2026
Kick-off: 20:00 BST

#cottage #rosenior

Crystal Palace have struck an agreement with Chelsea to loan Axel Disasi (28), according to a report from RMC Sport.
Disasi has no future at Chelsea. The former AS Monaco defender has spent the past two seasons on short-term loans, firstly at Aston Villa and then with West Ham United. He suffered relegation with the latter last season. As was the case under Enzo Maresca, Liam Rosenior, and now Xabi Alonso, he does not feature in the manager's plans, and he is now primed for another loan exit, this time to Crystal Palace.
RMC Sport understands that an agreement has been reached for a paid loan, without a buy option. The arrival of the Frenchman at Selhurst Park would numerically replace the departure of his compatriot, Maxence Lacroix, who, having competed for Les Bleus at the FIFA World Cup, made the short journey across London to join Chelsea. Talks between Disasi's representatives and Crystal Palace are now ongoing.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle

#palace #loan

FC Nantes are considering the dismissal of head coach Michel Der Zakarian should Antoine Kombouaré be available for a third spell in the dugout, according to a report on Sunday from Foot Mercato. Les Canaris are in disarray after losing their first two games of the Ligue 2 campaign following their relegation from the first tier in May. Nantes were powerless against Red Star (0-1) and conceded defeat in the dying minutes against Laval (2-1) after a blunder from Tylel Tati.
Nantes targeted an immediate return to Ligue 1 in 2027, but they now sit at the bottom of Ligue 2, which considerably weakens Der Zakarian's position. The former Nantes centre-back previously led Les Canaris to two Ligue 1 promotions, in 2008 and in 2013, in two different spells. But his third one could be cut short.
Foot Mercato reports that Nantes would part ways with Der Zakarian should there is a possibility for Kombouaré to return for a third spell at La Beaujoire. Kombouaré notably won the 2022 French Cup with his formative side. He was dismissed the following season only for him to return in 2024.
Let go at the end of the 2024-2025 campaign, Kombouaré oversaw a remarkable upturn in form at Paris FC, which he led to safety before PFC parted ways with him to appoint Liam Rosenior. Thr 62-year-old Kombouaré reportedly intends to take a short break from management.
GFFN | Bastien Cheval

#ligue #zakarian #canaris

Why did Morgan Rogers choose Chelsea over ***** nal? How Xabi Alonso phone call helped broker record transfer originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Chelsea completed a considerable transfer coup by signing Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for a £117m transfer fee on Tuesday.
Rogers was one of the outstanding players in the Premier League last season, scoring 10 goals and supplying six ***** ists from an attacking midfield role.
The 23-year-old, who went on to represent England at the 2026 World Cup, was also integral to Villa's Europa League triumph, scoring his third goal of the competition in the 3-0 final victory against Freiburg.
That success would have punched Villa's Champions League ticket, had they not secured a second top-four finish in the past three seasons in any case. It's a tale of success in stark contrast to Chelsea's shambolic 2025/26, where they dismissed head coaches Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior, lost the FA Cup final and finished 10th in the Premier League.

#rogers #morgan #Chelsea

Chelsea news conference: Watch Xabi Alonso speak to the media for the first time since becoming manager at the top of this page
Alonso was sacked by Real Madrid last season and replaces Liam Rosenior, who Chelsea dismissed in April after three months in charge
It is hoped Alonso will have the personality, gravitas from his playing career and tactical acumen to bring the club back to the standards it expects, writes the BBC's Nizaar Kinsella
Get Chelsea news throughout the summer and all season on our dedicated Chelsea page
ICYMI: Andoni Iraola had his first news conference as Liverpool head coach earlier - read a recap here

Chelsea defender Mamadou Sarr is attracting interest from Como, with the Serie A side intensifying direct contact to sign the player, per Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Blues will likely be open to a deal, as the Senegalese star has struggled to nail down a starting spot at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea signed the 20-year-old from sister club Strasbourg and brought him to West London in January when they needed a solution to their injury and defensive woes.
Unfortunately, he struggled to get going under then Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior and interim manager Calum McFarlane.
While he reads the game well enough on the ground, he is not particularly imposing enough and struggles in the air.

Xabi Alonso says he wants to build on the "strong culture" already embedded at Chelsea, where players have to be "willing to pay the price" to play at the highest levels of the game.
The Spaniard started work at the club on Tuesday after being appointed as Liam Rosenior's permanent successor in May.
The Blues are hoping that Alonso can revive their fortunes following a disappointing campaign in which they finished 10th in the Premier League table and without a trophy.
"For me, in football, there are principles that are [non] negotiable," Alonso said in.
"You need to be willing to pay the price to compete at the highest level. You can't hold back anything. You need to give everything you have for the benefit of the team. The team is always the most important thing.

Geovany Quenda has had a lengthy lead-in to his move to Chelsea, spending his time at biweekly English lessons and building physical strength to adapt to the demands of the Premier League through additional training and nutritional work.
However, after working to ensure he finished his final season at Sporting strongly, he suffered a broken fifth metatarsal (a bone on the outer edge of the foot) that kept him sidelined for four months. His side finished second and lost the cup final to minnows Torreense.
During that period, he completed much of his rehabilitation at Chelsea's Cobham training ground, where he spoke regularly with then-manager Liam Rosenior and several players, including compatriots Pedro Neto and Dario Essugo.
Quenda also quietly attended matches at Stamford Bridge during this time, while avoiding being seen.
Sources close to Quenda say he is targeting a regular first-team role at Chelsea and hopes to make his senior Portugal debut in the near future.

Brighton and Hove Albion defender Diego Coppola (22) is nearing a return to Paris FC, according to a report from Fabrizio Romano.
Coppola joined Paris FC on loan from Brighton back in January. He would make 14 appearances for Les Parisiens, firstly under Stéphane Gilli and then under Antoine Kombouaré. However, it was uncertain whether his stay at the Stade Jean Bouin would be extended beyond the summer.
The club have just appointed from Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior, who also has historic ties to Brighton, as their new head coach, as Kombouaré's short but successful stint has come to an end. PFC are now advancing with their transfer plans.
Romano understands that Brighton and Paris FC have agreed a deal in principle over a permanent transfer. The value of the transfer, the journalist adds, will be €18m plus a further €2m in add-ons. It is up to the Premier League side to approve the final details before the Italian can return to Paris FC.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Former Chelsea and RC Strasbourg Alsace manager Liam Rosenior has held talks with Paris FC, with the Ligue 1 club’s current manager Antoine Kombouaré set to exit, as per a report from RMC Sport.
As reported by Le Parisien on Wednesday, Kombouaré is likely to leave Paris FC. The former Paris Saint-Germain and FC Nantes manager arrived at the end of February and steadied the ship. When he replaced Stéphane Gilli on the touchline, Paris FC were in a relegation battle; Les Parisiens would ultimately finish in 11th and 12 points above the relegation play-off spot.
He isn’t expected to remain at the Stade Jean Bouin, and as the club prepares to return for pre-season training, preparations to nominate a successor are underway, RMC Sport understands. Whilst L’Équipe reported earlier this month that Rosenior was looking to take time out following his departure from Chelsea in the spring, RMC Sport understands that he has held talks with Paris FC.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle

As reported by Le Parisien on Wednesday, Antoine Kombouaré is likely to leave Paris FC. The former Paris Saint-Germain and FC Nantes manager arrived at the end of February and steadied the ship. When he replaced Stéphane Gilli on the touchline, Paris FC were in a relegation battle; Les Parisiens would ultimately finish in 11th and 12 points above the relegation play-off spot.
However, the Kanak is not expected to remain in his role. Kombouaré will likely leave. A shortlist to find his replacement has been drawn up. Le Parisien understands that former Chelsea and RC Strasbourg Alsace manager Liam Rosenior features very highly on that list.
Rosenior, L’Équipe understands, was also in contention for the job at OGC Nice, since taken by Olivier Pantaloni. However, it was thought that he would prefer to take a break, following his short stint in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Habib Beye, still in his post at Olympique de Marseille, but expected to be replaced by Bruno Genesio, is also on the shortlist, although, internally, there are some doubts. Walid Regragui, who led Morocco to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup in 2026, is not in contention, Le Parisien understands.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Liam Rosenior gives Estevao Willian and Enzo Fernandez injury updates in fresh Chelsea setback

Liam Rosenior has shared how Chelsea star Estevao Willian cried following an injury setback in the 1-0 defeat to Manchester United.
It is the latest setback for the Blues in their pursuit of a top-five finish and Champions League football next season.
While Enzo Fernandez, captaining the side yesterday after an internal two-game suspension, was also forced off with a worrying calf problem.
The injury for Estevao could put his appearance at this summer’s World Cup with Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil a