West London derby sees Alonso’s Chelsea face Arbeloa’s Fulham in Premier League opener
Alonso’s Chelsea debut
Xabi Alonso has named his first Premier League starting lineup as Chelsea manager for the match against west London rivals Fulham. The fixture marks Alonso’s initial competitive game since taking charge of the club this summer. The team includes new signings Maxence Lacroix and Morgan Rogers.
Robert Sanchez is set to start in goal for Chelsea. He will be protected by a defensive line featuring Josh Acheampong, Maxence Lacroix, and Levi Colwill. Malo Gusto and Jorrel Hato are also part of the squad.
Captain Reece James and Romeo Lavia are expected to play in midfield roles. Morgan Rogers will make his competitive debut for Chelsea, joining Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro in the attack. The substitute bench for Chelsea includes Penders, Chavarria, Barco, Fernandez, Neto, Quenda, Gittens, Estevao, and Welbeck.
Former teammates now rivals
The match at Craven Cottage on Monday night features an intriguing matchup between Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea and Alvaro Arbeloa’s Fulham. Alonso and Arbeloa, who are old friends, played together in 262 games for Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Spain. They also both experienced being dismissed as managers by Real Madrid last season.
Arbeloa, who is 43, followed in the footsteps of Alonso, 44, a pattern that has been observed throughout their careers. Alonso moved to Liverpool in August 2004, with Arbeloa joining Anfield in January 2007. Both players then transferred to Real Madrid within weeks of each other in the summer of 2009.
Alonso was the first to leave the Bernabeu, moving to Bayern Munich in 2014. Arbeloa remained at Madrid for two more years before concluding his playing career with an injury-affected season at West Ham United. They also shared the pitch on 38 occasions while representing Spain, during which they won the European Championship in 2008 and 2012, and the country’s first World Cup in 2010.
Both players retired from playing at the end of the 2016-17 campaign. Alonso began his coaching career in Madrid’s academy in the summer of 2018, managing the under-13 side. Two years later, Arbeloa joined La Fabrica to coach at the same level. Alonso subsequently coached Real Sociedad’s B team and Bayer Leverkusen, where he achieved a German league and cup double in his debut 2023-24 campaign, with only one loss in the Europa League final against Atalanta.
Arbeloa continued at Madrid, progressing through the ranks before becoming manager of Real Madrid Castilla last summer. This was just weeks before Alonso took on the first-team role. For six months, they worked in close proximity at Madrid’s training facilities, regularly discussing academy players who Arbeloa had helped develop and who might be ready for the senior team, including Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios, who have since joined Fulham this summer.
Their managerial styles showed differences during their time as Madrid first-team coaches last season. Alonso adopted a rational approach, providing detailed tactical instructions and maintaining a professional distance from his players. Arbeloa, in contrast, used different methods, publicly managing the egos of his high-profile players and allowing them more decision-making freedom on the pitch. His political skills were evident as he accepted conditions from above, such as bringing back veteran physical trainer Antonio Pintus.
Arbeloa’s more assertive side has been observed since he joined Fulham. During a 2-2 friendly draw against Malaga on August 12, he received a red card for protesting to the referee after Malaga scored a late penalty. The pre-game handshake at Craven Cottage on Monday night will mark the first time Alonso and Arbeloa meet as opponents.
Source: chelseafc.com
