Fulham hosted Chelsea on Monday 24 August 2026, the final day of the opening round.
The fixture was scheduled for 20:00 UK time and was listed as Fulham v Chelsea. Fulham were therefore the home team, with Chelsea travelling across London for a match at Craven Cottage. It was the only Premier League fixture scheduled for that Monday.
The game completed a four-day opening round that began with Arsenal against Coventry City on Friday 21 August. Five matches were scheduled on Saturday, three on Sunday and one on Monday. This spread was created by the league’s broadcast schedule and normal fixture planning rather than by treating Monday as a separate matchweek.
Fulham’s Craven Cottage is beside the River Thames and is one of the Premier League’s distinctive traditional grounds. Chelsea’s home venue is Stamford Bridge, meaning this was a west London away fixture for Chelsea.
The match should be distinguished from Brentford versus Tottenham Hotspur, which was the late Saturday fixture and not the closing match of the full opening round.