Chelsea and Crystal Palace meet at Stamford Bridge to kick off their Premier League seasons after winning trophies over the summer. Chelsea secured the FIFA Club World Cup by defeating PSG, while Palace won the Community Shield against Liverpool. Chelsea aims to build on last season's fourth-place finish with heavy investment in their squad, although doubts about their title contender status persist. Injury issues in their defense complicate preparations, and both teams face important early-season challenges in a packed schedule of London derbies.
Chelsea won the FIFA Club World Cup, controversially triumphing over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain in the final, while Palace took the Community Shield after edging out Liverpool on penalties.
With a significant summer investment, Chelsea seeks to improve upon last season's top-four finish but faces skepticism about their status as genuine title contenders despite two summer victories.
In recent history, Chelsea has not lost their opening fixture in back-to-back seasons since the late 1990s, setting up an important opening match against Palace.
Chelsea is facing injury struggles in defense, with multiple key players sidelined, leading to a reshuffling in their starting lineup ahead of the London derby.
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