Chelsea held to frustrating draw after Eberechi Eze levels for Crystal Palace

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It is unwise to make any conclusions about teams three games into a league season but in the case of Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea it is impossible. Are they the merciless destroyers who tore apart Wolves last weekend, or the meek flops who lost to Servette on Thursday? Those were two near-literal different teams in personnel, but how do you draw conclusions from a game like this in which Chelsea looked so bright in the first half and dim in the second?Their opening goal felt justified and satisfying, a flawlessly executed counter-attack when their four overpowered Palace’s three. Marc Guehi, still in south London despite interest from Newcastle, lost the ball on a rare factfinding mission to his team’s midfield, Noni Madueke broke forward, released Cole Palmer at the ideal moment and he rolled it across goal for Nicolas Jackson to tap in. In moments like these Maresca’s team look so full of promise. There is speed, invention and calmness.
There are bigger questions about their mentality given the way they crumpled following Palace’s equaliser. Eberechi Eze is the sort of player who can have a quiet hour then decide that he fancies defining a match. Rare to agree with a shout of “shooooot!” from fans when a player strides onto a ball 25 yards out, rarer still to think that player is going to score. Eze duly did with a whipped ripsnorter and from there Palace seized the initiative.Chelsea, previously bold, visibly shrank with misplaced passes and aimless punts in place of the vibrant attacking play they had demonstrated in the first half. They finished strongly, with Jackson missing two presentable chances in quick succession. No sign yet of their 1,000-piece puzzle being solved, at this stage Maresca has barely found the outline.
As Thom says, that has to be seen as two points dropped after Chelsea’s initial control.
Jackson nearly wins it twice at the death as the teams ding and dong one another with the game there to be won. It was a presentable chance for the Chelsea striker the first time but he was off balance and could only shoot wide. The second looked more dangerous, put through with only Clyne in doomed pursuit. Defender held off, he did not have the finish to beat Henderson. Mitchall had Palace’s best chance, shooting into traffic from the final corner of the game. Chelsea finished strong, but Palace hold on and given the hosts’ first half that has to go down as two points lost for Enzo Maresca’s team.
Chelsea have had 63% of the ball and ten shots. Palace with seven shots.
There will be eight minutes of added time. Both Cole Palmer and Daniel Muñoz have seen yellow cards.
A bit more promise from Chelsea as we head into the closing stages, they are at least holding onto the ball for some sustained periods. But Palace still looing like the team more likely to score. All the noise is coming from their fans, who can smell a smash and grab. Chelsea’s are wilting in the last rations of summer heat.
 
Daichi Kamada has a dibble after being set up by Ismaïla Sarr.
Marc Guéhi injured. He’s ok.
Too early in the season for a make-or-break 20 minutes for Chelsea? That’s what this feels like. As it stands they’ve squandered an excellent half and are only on for a share of the points against a team who have barely threatened them beyond the equalising goal. The verve has gone out of their game this half, a slight sense of fear creeping in. Madueke much quieter, Palmer contributing little, perhaps Mudryk, just on for a cramping Malo Gusto will turn the game? Stop chortling at the back.
Mykhailo Mudryk replaces Malo Gusto, who has gotten injured.
Ismaïla Sarr replaces Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Jackson goes into the book.
Something predictable about Chelsea being punished for failing to make the best of their dominance, especially when Palace have a player as reliable as Eze. Not often you hear a crowd yell “shoooot!” as they did when he teed up for a 25-yard whipped shot and feel confident the player is going to score. That he did and it’s been all Palace since. Doucoure has been an improvement, bringing a bit more verve to their midfield, Kamada showing some flashes, Mateta doing a good cheerleading job but it’s Eze pulling the strings.
João Félix replaces Pedro Neto. 
Palace are back in it after a set piece! Eze has tucked it away with a right-footed shot.
I love EZE 😍#CPFC // #CHECRY pic.twitter.com/DQUVrBH25u
Busy start to second half for Henderson in goal for Palace. A Palmer free kick tipped behind at full-stretch, then a downward header from Colwill shovelled around the post from the resulting corner. Hughes lucky not to be sent off for the tactical foul which led to the initial free kick for Chelsea, he was already on a yellow. He’s now been replaced by Doucoure. 
A foul on Cole Palmer.
We are back underway.
The Enzo Maresca Chelsea era has moved back into credit. Not a lot to be gleaned from the opening weekend defeat to City, that will be most teams’ fate against the Forever Champions this season. Then plenty of encouragement from thrashing Wolves, which was damped by defeat to a team that sounds like a napkin in Switzerland this week.
But that was a bright and vibrant half for the home team. Madueke and Palmer providing the fun but Caicedo looking extremely classy and composed in central midfield. There have been some nice moments in which he, Fofana, Gusto and Colwill have rotated with fluency, albeit under little pressure from Palace who have yet to enjoy a meaningful spell.
Glasner will be happy it’s only 1-0 at the break. Well, happy-ish. Has looked ready to lamp someone for much of the first 45.
I realise we’re used to every Premier League manager behaving like they are the victims of a particularly effective Gotcha Oscar but Glasner is hopping around with fury in the technical area. He’s giving us the full brochure of furious behaviour: sarcastic gestures to his staff, much pointing, endless shouting. Two blokes on his bench appear to be there mainly to nod and say “yes boss” every time he turns around to offer his latest expression of exasperation. All a bit unedifying. Palace rocking, though, so somewhat understandable.
Henderson apparently okay. Wesley Fofana has been booked.
A delay becuase Dean Henderson has been injured.
Chelsea take the lead through Jackson. Cole Palmer with the assist.
A morale-boosting goal for Chelsea, when they raced forward in a four on three situation they had to score and duly did. Palace architects of their own downfall, Guehi going on a rare forward excursion and losing the ball which left them fatally under-resourced at the back and Hughes unable to halt the counter as he’s already on a booking. Top from Chelsea for the execution though, Palmer rolling it across for a tap-in for Jackson. 
Previously, it seemed like Madueke might never miss again from the acute position to the right-hand side of the goal he scored all four of his goals against Wolves from but he’s just spurned two opportunities from that area in quick succession. Spurned is harsh on the second of those in fairness, it was an excellent save from Henderson, to tip it onto the bar. The first a more regulation dragged wide shot. Little matter now, Chelsea have the lead they deserve. 
That’s a yellow card for Will Hughes.
Biggest cheer for Palace fans so far has been a misplaced pass from Cucurella which went out for a throw, after several minutes of singing about the full-back’s haircut. When in doubt, bully the bloke who used to play for Brighton. Harder to go for Caicedo who is playing a very straight bat at the barbers. 
All of this is a roundabout way of saying it’s still being dominated by Chelsea. Palmer with the best moment of the game so far, skipping forward and curling a shot just wide from marginally outside the box. Bit quiet since then, Palace perhaps sensing they have weathered the early storm, but you wouldn’t know it to look at Glasner on the bench, all sort of concerned pointing and shouting. Wharton has his team’s first shot, well saved down low by Sanchez.
It’s been a good first 12 months. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ynUWoT7ZYh
Jadon Sancho unveiled to the Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge! 🔵 pic.twitter.com/mqFJNutwfx
All Chelsea so far, Palmer, Neto and Fernandez all having some joy prodding at Palace’s right-hand side where Nathaniel Clyne, now somehow 33, is looking a touch exposed as the right-hand man in Glasner’s defensive trio. Palmer showed off his young player of the year award to the crowd before kick-off. In more age-related things which have made me feel ancient he was posing with his Dad Jermaine, who is 38.
 
And we are underway.
All eyes on Stamford Bridge.
Pleasant afternoon here in London although a little overcast.
It’s a day out in West London for Jarred Gillett, the Gold Coast-born whistler who is surely the first Aussie to referee in the PL.
And indeed I have just learned from Wiki that he is the first person born outside the British Isles to take charge of a Premier League fixture. He achieved said feat in 2021 when he reffed Watford vs Newcastle.
It was the B-team in the week for Chelsea in their Europa Conference qualifying defeat to the mighty Servette, but we are back to what we must assume is Enzo Maresca’s first choice or something like it this afternoon. One change from the 6-2 against Wolves, Pedro Neto back in for Mikhailo Mudryk and much of the winter intake on the bench.
For Palace and Oliver Glasner some rather more involved changes. Clyne, Kamada, Hughes all in, Riad, Lerma, Edouard out from defeat to West Ham at home last time out. Glasner always treats the beginnings of the season as a chance to rotate as much as possible and ensure his players are appropriately loaded across the board. In the physical sense, they’re all fine financially.
We make that nine changes from the Chelsea side who played Servette in the Conference League on Thursday. Noni Madueke and Enzo Fernandez go again.
As for Palace, three changes from the side who defeated Norwich in the League Cup midweek. Nathaniel Clyne, Daichi Kamada and Will Hughes are into the XI.
Chelsea: Sanchez, Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez, Madueke, Palmer, Pedro Neto, Jackson. Subs: Jorgensen, Disasi, Adarabioyo, Mudryk, Joao Felix, Nkunku, Dewsbury-Hall, Casadei, Veiga.
Crystal Palace: Henderson, Clyne, Richards, Guehi, Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell, Kamada, Eze, Mateta. Subs: Matthews, Ward, Sarr, Schlupp, Doucoure, Rodney, Umeh, Devenny, Agbinone.
Referee: Jarred Gillett (Australia)
Afternoon from Stamford Bridge where the great Chelsea experiment enters its owners’ least-favourite phase: the period of the season in which you cannot buy any more footballers. A conservative 11 new arrivals to the first team this winter, Jadon Sancho boosting the numbers to “entire new team” just in time on deadline day. Phew.
He will play no part today, other than a potential introduction to the crowd before the game or at half-time, but fair to say Enzo Maresca still has plenty of options ahead of the second home league match of his reign. Palace should be beatable. A morale-raising 4-0 win over Norwich in the League Cup this week, but so far in the league it is two defeats, both slightly unfortunate, to West Ham at home and away at Brentford.
Trevoh Chalobah made the cross-London move from Chelsea to Palace on Friday. Another you are unlikely to see on the pitch today, another departure that certainly has potential to haunt Chelsea. You would expect an open match today, even in the 6-2 at Wolves last time out Chelsea looked porous in defence and threw away a lead twice before cruising over the horizon.
These two clubs headed into the start of the season in two contrasting moods.
Off the back of a brilliant end to the last campaign Crystal Palace were on a high. Under the new manager Oliver Glasner the south Londoners expected, more than hoped, to get this season off to a flyer. But two games in, and with two defeats (at Brentford and at home to West Ham) that sunny disposition has already been replaced by nerves and anxiety.
Chelsea came into the new season with more question marks hanging over them than an episode of University Challenge. The squad was bloated, first-team players were issuing statements about being left out of the XI an hour before kick-off (the now-departed Raheem Sterling), and accusations aplenty were flying around that the owners didn’t know what they were doing.
An opening-day defeat to Man City didn’t help matters, but the 6-2 thrashing of Wolves last Sunday has certainly brightened up the mood. And with young guns such as Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer firing, the west Londoners head into today’s capital derby on a high knowing victory would send them into the top half of the table.
Now the transfer window is firmly shut Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says he is happy with the players at his disposal and is ready for the challenge Palace will pose this afternoon.
“I really like the squad, I’ve said that since my first day here. I feel very lucky because we have many versatile players who can play in different positions,” he said.
“That is something I love. I feel lucky because first of all they are good boys, good human beings, and then they are also good players so this is important.
“I watched both [of Palace’s] games, they probably didn’t deserve to lose but this is football,” Maresca said.
“They are a very good team since last year, they finished fantastic, and for sure this year they are again going to be there.”
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