Crystal Palace struck late to deny Chelsea three points.
image credit: Kobi (fan)
Chelsea’s winless run in the Premier League continued as they were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Despite dominating for much of the game, the Blues were undone by Jean-Philippe Mateta’s late equalizer, leaving them further adrift from the league’s top spots.
Palmer’s Clinical Finish Sparks Chelsea
Chelsea started with purpose, dictating the tempo and pinning Crystal Palace deep into their half. Their early pressure paid off in the 14th minute when Cole Palmer showcased his rising star power.
A slick pass from Jadon Sancho found the 21-year-old midfielder, who calmly slotted home to give the visitors the lead.
The Blues had chances to extend their advantage but lacked sharpness in front of goal.
Nicolas Jackson spurned a golden opportunity just before halftime, leaving the game finely poised as the teams headed into the break.
Wasteful Chelsea Punished
Chelsea picked up where they left off in the second half, controlling possession and creating chances.
Yet, their finishing let them down repeatedly, with both Jackson and Palmer missing clear-cut opportunities to double the lead.
Crystal Palace, buoyed by the support of their home crowd, grew into the game. Eberechi Eze and Jordan Ayew became increasingly influential, orchestrating counterattacks that began to trouble Chelsea’s backline.
The breakthrough for Palace came in the 82nd minute. Eze, ever the creative force, delivered a perfectly weighted ball to Mateta, who powered his shot past a helpless Robert Sanchez to level the score.
Chelsea pushed for a winner in the dying moments, but Palace’s defense, led by Joachim Andersen, stood firm to secure a hard-fought point.
Key Performances
Cole Palmer: The young midfielder continues to impress, combining composure and creativity with his early goal.
Jadon Sancho: Showed glimpses of brilliance, including the assist for Palmer’s goal, but faded in the second half.
Jean-Philippe Mateta: Proved to be Palace’s hero with a clinical finish to earn his side a valuable draw.
Eberechi Eze: Orchestrated Palace’s attack and provided the assist for the equalizer with a moment of magic.
Managers’ Reactions
Enzo Maresca, Chelsea manager:
We did enough to win the game today. Between the first and second halves we created enough chances to win the game, but we need to be clinical. Unfortunately, at the end, we conceded, but overall I think we did enough to win the game.
Roy Hodgson, Crystal Palace manager:
I thought our pressure was good. I thought we stopped them building up a play for long periods of time. We had a good period in the first-half. We started the game very well. They had a period after maybe 15 or 20 minutes where they cut through us once or twice. But after that, I think we sorted that out, and I thought in the second half really, there was possibly more action in and around their penalty area than even there was around ours.
What’s Next?
Both teams will turn their attention to FA Cup action in midweek. Chelsea host League Two side Morecambe in a fixture they’ll hope to win comfortably, while Crystal Palace will host league one side, Stockport.