Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 15 Premier League games against Crystal Palace (W13 D2), their longest active run against any of the 19 other sides involved in the 2025-26 season.

Crystal Palace’s last victory at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League came in April 2017 under Sam Allardyce (2-1) – since then, they’ve failed to win on any of their last eight trips in league action, losing seven of those matches (D1).

This will be just the second time Chelsea and Crystal Palace have faced each other on MD1 of a league season, with the Blues having won 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on the opening day of the 2021-22 campaign.

This is the fifth time Chelsea have begun a Premier League campaign with a London derby, winning each of the previous four (v West Ham in 2000, Charlton in 2002, West Ham in 2016 and Crystal Palace in 2021). They’ve also won the last two times their first league game has been against the previous season’s FA Cup winners, beating Portsmouth 4-0 in 2008 and Manchester United 1-0 in 2004.

Chelsea lost 2-0 against Manchester City in their opening Premier League match last season, last losing on MD1 in consecutive campaigns in 1997-98/1998-99 (vs Coventry City both times).

Crystal Palace have lost their opening league match in three of the last four seasons, with the exception being a 1-0 win at newly promoted Sheffield United in 2023-24.

Chelsea won five of their final six Premier League games in 2024-25 (L1), as many as they had in their previous 16 (D5 L6).

After winning their first four Premier League away games in 2025 by an aggregate score of 8-0, Crystal Palace won just one of their final six on the road last season (D3 L2).

Cole Palmer has had a hand in four goals in his three Premier League starts for Chelsea against Crystal Palace (1 goal, 3 assists). However, he hasn’t scored from open play in any of his last 16 league games for the Blues, since netting against Bournemouth in January.

Coming into MD1 of the 2025-26 Premier League season, no club has had more players score on their debut for them in the competition than Chelsea (27, level with Aston Villa). Forwards João Pedro, Liam Delap, and Jamie Gittens are among the players who could make their first league appearances for the Blues in this game.