Fulham host west London rivals Chelsea at Craven Cottage on Monday night as the opening weekend of the new Premier League season concludes. The match kicks off at 8pm on August 24.
New era for both clubs
The fixture marks the start of a new era for both sides. Former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Spain teammates Alvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso are managing in the English top flight for the first time, having taken charge of the Cottagers and Blues respectively this summer.
Both teams are aiming to begin the season with a winning start.
TV channel and live streaming details
Sky Sports will show the game. Customers can tune into Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League from 6.30pm. Viewers can also stream all the action from Craven Cottage via the Sky Go app.
Managers' pre-match comments
Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa said: "I know how important this game is for our supporters. It’s also very important for everyone at the Club, for us, for players, for me."
"It’s the first game of the season, first game at Craven Cottage, so we are ready, we are excited, and of course we can't wait for that game."
"I remember when I was a player, Craven Cottage was always a very difficult place to come. You can feel the supporters are really close to the pitch, and now I want to feel that special moment as Fulham Head Coach."
"For us, they will be very important if we want to win games at home. For sure, they are going to be so important for us."
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said: "We’re all together as we begin this new season. The main thing for me is that we share the same targets and goals. We have the ambition to have a great year, but we don’t need to think about what might happen later in the season."
"What we can control is what we do now, how we start the season and how we prepare for games. At the moment, our only focus is Fulham."
"The Premier League is challenging, and every game will be difficult. We’ll improve game by game."
"I’m sure the team that starts the Premier League will be better by November or December because everything takes time. It’s a process, but we feel we can make a good start—and that’s very important."
