Chelsea Vs Crystal Palace Match Preview (1 Viewer)

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Chelsea is set to face Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Wednesday, aiming for a victory that will secure their position in the top half of the standings. On the other hand, Palace, currently in the 15th position, is just four points behind their upcoming opponents.

Chelsea's season has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, and last week was no exception as they suffered a defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Boxing Day. Questionable decisions in the first half, especially a missed opportunity by Raheem Sterling in a three-on-one situation, allowed Wolves to stay in the game, and the home side capitalized on it in the second half.

Although Christopher Nkunku scored his first goal for Chelsea in added time, it was merely a consolation as they faced their eighth loss in 18 Premier League fixtures under manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Trailing eight points behind the top six, Chelsea is at a point where they need to start stringing together wins to avoid relying solely on cup competitions for a European spot.

Despite winning only three out of nine top-flight games at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea has shown improvement by winning their last two and maintaining an unbeaten streak in their last five across all competitions.

Roy Hodgson's Palace side heads to Chelsea with the manager under pressure to secure results, having only secured one victory in the last 11 games. However, consecutive draws against Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion indicate positive steps, even though they are now just six points above the relegation zone.

While conceding a late equalizer to Brighton was disappointing, Palace has been competitive in recent matches, except for a home defeat to Bournemouth. Despite having the second-worst attacking record in the league along with three other clubs, Palace has managed to find the back of the net in eight of their last nine Premier League fixtures.

INJURIES & SUSPENSION​

Pochettino faces the necessity of making at least three adjustments to his Chelsea lineup due to Lesley Ugochukwu's hamstring injury suffered against Wolves, along with one-game suspensions for Cole Palmer and Sterling.

In response, Moises Caicedo or Enzo Fernandez may make a return from illness and hernia concerns, respectively. However, Romeo Lavia is not anticipated to start at this point in his recovery, having not played a competitive match all season.

Pochettino is likely to resist the temptation of starting Nkunku so soon after his debut following a prolonged absence. Instead, Noni Madueke and Mykhaylo Mudryk are expected to feature in the attacking third, with Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja potentially retaining their spots.

Considering the extent of Chelsea's injury woes, Pochettino is contemplating the possibility of Ian Maatsen starting at right-back over the recently-returned Malo Gusto.

On the other side, Palace manager Hodgson may opt for a recall for Eberechi Eze, who has seen 20 minutes of action against Brighton and has increased his training workload after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Barring any new injury concerns, this might be the sole change, with Chris Richards maintaining his role in a defensive-midfield position and none of Palace's sidelined players expected to make a return at this time.

POSSIBLE LINE-UPS​

Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Silva, Colwill; Caicedo, Gallagher; Madueke, Jackson, Mudryk; Broja

Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Henderson; Clyne, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Lerma, Richards, Eze; Olise, Mateta, Ayew

EXPERT PREDICTION

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Chelsea 2-2 Crystal Palace

Although Chelsea may feel optimistic about securing a positive outcome at home, the absence of key players against a Palace team gaining confidence poses a less-than-ideal situation. Considering these factors, we anticipate a low-scoring draw unfolding at Stamford Bridge, a result that may not particularly benefit either team.