Eberechi Eze scored a stunning equalizer, and Dean Henderson made six crucial saves as Crystal Palace earned a surprising 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring for Chelsea early in the match, but the home side was unable to secure a second goal. As a result, Chelsea heads into the international break with four points, sitting three points off the top four, while Palace’s first point of the season lifts them out of the relegation zone and into 16th place.
Despite Cole Palmer creating five chances for Chelsea, they could only convert one through Jackson’s tap-in. Palmer excelled in midfield, but Chelsea struggled to capitalize on his contributions, with Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke not able to make significant impacts. Jackson was active and could have scored multiple goals, a recurring disappointment for Blues supporters, while substitutes Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk provided decent performances that were not enough to push the team into the top four.
Palace’s performance in the London derby shows promise, highlighted by Eze’s spectacular goal and Henderson’s impressive shot-stopping. Manager Oliver Glasner will hope that new signings Maxence Lacroix, Eddie Nketiah, and Trevor Chalobah can provide consistent support alongside players like Adam Wharton and Marc Guehi.
The match’s upcoming schedule sees Chelsea travel to Bournemouth on September 14, while Palace will face Leicester City at home. Both teams will also prepare for upcoming League Cup matches, with Palace visiting QPR and Chelsea hosting Barrow.
Chelsea and Crystal Palace player ratings reflected the match outcome, with Eze’s equalizer bringing life to what had been a challenging start to the season for the Eagles, who have now played three London derbies but only earned a single point.
Chelsea’s lineup remained consistent following a strong performance, while Palace missed Joachim Andersen and opted for a back five. While Chelsea’s Reece James is out with a thigh injury, Crystal Palace confirmed the retention of center back Marc Guehi amid transfer speculations.
The prediction for the clash hinted at a more challenging game for Chelsea against a deeper defending opponent, resulting in a forecasted close contest.