Crystal Palace vs Chelsea Review
Jean-Philippe Mateta’s equalizer secured a 1-1 draw for Crystal Palace against Chelsea, who have now gone four Premier League matches without a win (two draws and two losses). After a rough start to the season, the Eagles have climbed the standings with a series of positive results (four wins, five draws, and two losses), but given their recent poor record against Chelsea (one draw and fourteen losses), today’s match was expected to be challenging for Oliver Glasner. The Blues took the lead just 14 minutes into the game, with Jadon Sancho playing a key role by executing a clever dummy before advancing towards the Palace defense and setting up Cole Palmer, who calmly finished past Dean Henderson.
With momentum in their favor, the visiting team sought a second goal, coming close when Pedro Neto headed Palmer’s free-kick to the back post, where Nicholas Jackson should have scored with his volley. Despite Chelsea’s strong start, they were unable to extend their lead from the first half, which allowed the home team to gradually get back into the game as halftime approached, though they rarely tested Robert Sánchez.
Crystal Palace began the second half on a positive note and nearly equalized when Ismaïla Sarr’s sharp cross reached Eberechi Eze, whose first-time side-foot shot went just wide of the far post. As the hour mark approached, the Eagles were firmly in the match and increasingly threatening in front of goal, as shown by Mateta’s shot that was deflected over the bar by Levi Colwill.
With under 15 minutes left in the match, Chelsea’s only shot on target was the sole goal of the game. Their inability to score again while they were in control proved costly, as Mateta took advantage of a mistake by Palmer, finishing a quick counterattack with a low shot. Enzo Fernández was fortunate not to receive a second yellow card in the final moments, but that was the extent of Chelsea’s luck, as they ultimately lost two points.
Crystal Palace’s solid performance earned them a valuable point, although their troubling home record persists, with only two wins in 11 games at Selhurst Park, leaving Glasner’s team in 15th place in the league. A loss could have pushed Chelsea out of the top four by the weekend’s end, but the single point does little to boost their fading title hopes, as they now trail league leaders Liverpool by nine points, having played two more matches.
