Alonso's season starts with a question he cannot dodge
Xabi Alonso has spent the summer reshaping this squad, eleven new signings by the latest count, and on Monday night at Craven Cottage the project finally gets judged on points (3) (21). Chelsea are 17/20 favourites for the opener against Fulham, which tells you more about the fixture list than about anything this team has proven (5).
The last competitive Chelsea match saw Sunderland win 2–1 on May 24, a defeat that closed out a season where the club finished nowhere near where it wants to be. Monday is not about revenge. It is about whether eleven new faces can look like a team on day one.
Palmer is the bet, and Alonso is making it out loud
Cole Palmer's 2025/26 season was wrecked by injury problems. Alonso confirmed this week that those problems are behind him, and he did not stop there. He said if Palmer connects with the players around him, his level is top-class, world-class, and he will have a great season (2) (6).
Get the next Chelsea FC brief by email
This article went out to subscribers as a brief. Get the next one straight to your inbox, free.
Free · No spam · Unsubscribe anytime
That is the manager putting his name on a bet. The signing of Morgan Rogers for a British-record fee was supposed to take pressure off Palmer, and Rogers is expected to start under Alonso (11) (13). Joao Pedro committing to a new long-term contract is another piece of that same logic: build an attack with enough options that no single player has to carry everything (20) (27).
The exits tell you the squad is still not settled
Benoit Badiashile left on loan to Napoli this week, with a purchase option included (10) (11) (18) (21). Pedro Neto looks next, Chelsea apparently ready to accept permanent offers, with Al Hilal leading the race (7). Dario Essugo could go on loan, Hull City and Strasbourg both interested (8) (22) (23).
This is a squad that won 3–1 against Real Sociedad in its final friendly, then immediately shipped out another defender. Eleven in, and the door is still swinging the other way. Alonso talks about needing the right decisions without rushing, which is what he said about Mykhailo Mudryk this week, a player Leeds still want (14) (25).
What to watch
Monday at Craven Cottage is the first real test, and it is a West London derby on top of everything else. After that comes Brighton at home on Sunday, then Arsenal on September 6. Three matches in ten days against sides Chelsea should expect to beat two of. If Palmer plays the way Alonso says he can, the season starts with momentum. If not, the reshaping continues.
