{"id":1772,"date":"2026-08-21T11:38:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-21T11:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/footballars.xyz\/?p=1772"},"modified":"2026-08-21T11:38:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-21T11:38:25","slug":"alvaro-arbeloa-shares-his-relationship-with-xabi-alonso-ahead-of-chelsea-vs-fulham","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/footballars.xyz\/?p=1772","title":{"rendered":"Alvaro Arbeloa shares his relationship with Xabi Alonso ahead of Chelsea vs Fulham"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Years of close friendship will be put on hold for 90 minutes when Alvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso go head-to-head as Premier League rivals in London.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The upcoming West London derby between Chelsea<\/a> and Fulham kicks off the Premier League season with plenty of tension on the touchline, as Alonso<\/a> and Arbeloa will open their accounts against each other.<\/p>\n

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Alonso and Arbeloa shared a dressing room for nearly a decade across Liverpool, Real Madrid, and the Spanish national team. They played 262 matches together, and the results weren\u2019t bad, winning the 2010 World Cup, back-to-back European Championships, a La Liga title, two Copas del Rey, and a Champions League.<\/p>\n

However, managing in the Premier League is a new test of its own, and many have failed over the years.<\/p>\n

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Which Chelsea signing will have the best 26\/27 season, and why?<\/h3>\n

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Alvaro Arbeloa and Xabi Alonso remain good friends<\/h2>\n

Speaking in his Fulham press conference ahead of Monday\u2019s clash, Alvaro Arbeloa kept things classy with his comment on Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso. <\/p>\n

He said: \u201cWe are very good friends. We spent many years together as teammates and now. So we came here in the Premier League and in London. So first game, we have to face each other, and for 90 minutes we will give our best to win the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both West London sides head into the opening fixture after closing out their summer friendlies with momentum-building home victories. <\/p>\n

Fulham wrapped up their pre-season preparations with a hard-fought 1-0 win over VfB Stuttgart at Craven Cottage, while Chelsea capped off their summer campaign in convincing style with a 3-1 victory against Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge.<\/p>\n

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