Despite a loss in Switzerland, the Blues secured their spot in the Conference League proper earlier this week and are eager to build on last weekend’s dominant win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. With around £200 million spent on new signings and over 20 players leaving the club, it’s been yet another turbulent summer at Chelsea, a trend under Todd Boehly's ownership.
The club has faced plenty of off-field scrutiny and criticism for its management, and a 2-0 home defeat to Manchester City on opening day highlighted the gap between Chelsea and the top teams, despite the massive investment.
However, new manager Enzo Maresca quieted some of the critics last Sunday when Chelsea hammered Wolves 6-2 at Molineux, with standout performances from Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer earning them spots in the England squad.
Madueke’s quick-fire hat-trick, with all three goals assisted by Palmer, helped Chelsea overwhelm Wolves in the second half after going into halftime level at 2-2. It was the first time in over two-and-a-half years that Chelsea scored six goals away from home.
There’s still uncertainty about what to expect from Chelsea this season. Despite fielding a strong and expensive lineup, they lost 2-1 to Servette in Geneva on Thursday. Though they progressed 3-2 on aggregate, the defeat raised questions, especially about their defense, as they’ve conceded two goals in three of their last four games.
Friday’s draw for the league phase means Chelsea will face tough away matches against Astana in Kazakhstan and Panathinaikos in Greece, but they’ll hope to make it through to the knockouts without too much trouble against lesser opponents like Shamrock Rovers of Ireland and Noah of Armenia.
Last weekend, there was no sign of a European hangover, and Maresca will be hoping for a similar outcome against a team Chelsea has dominated in recent years. Despite their struggles last season, Chelsea still managed a league double over Palace, extending their winning streak against them to 14 matches—13 in the Premier League.
A win on Sunday would tie the English league record for consecutive wins against a single opponent, a record currently held by Manchester City over Bournemouth.
As for Crystal Palace, their main goal will be to hand Chelsea back-to-back home defeats to start the season, something that hasn’t happened since 1978-79.
It’s been a tough start for Oliver Glasner’s side, who are near the bottom of the table after losing their first two matches. Defensive issues have played a role in those defeats, but there have been some unlucky moments too, like Eberechi Eze’s disallowed free kick against Brentford and his shot hitting the crossbar against West Ham.
This is the first time Palace has lost their opening two games since the Frank de Boer era when they lost their first seven but still managed to finish 11th.
A relegation battle wasn’t what was expected for the Eagles this season, especially after the positive impact Glasner made when he took over in February. The Austrian manager fielded a strong lineup in midweek for their EFL Cup clash with Norwich City, likely to boost confidence after the disappointing results, and it worked perfectly as Palace won 4-0.
Eze scored his first goal of the season, Daichi Kamada opened his Palace account, and Jean-Philippe Mateta scored twice, including a spectacular acrobatic volley.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Chelsea are likely to stick with the same lineup that triumphed over Wolves, with Mykhaylo Mudryk being the only player at risk of losing his spot. Pedro Neto, who didn’t make the trip to Geneva, replaced Mudryk at halftime against Wolves and might be set for his full debut after assisting Joao Felix for Chelsea's sixth goal.The players who started in the match against Servette on Thursday are unlikely to keep their places, though Noni Madueke and Enzo Fernandez, who were surprisingly included from the start, are expected to be in the lineup again.
Injury-wise, Romeo Lavia is out with a hamstring issue, and Reece James is still recovering from a thigh injury while also serving a suspension carried over from last season.
Palace, after fielding a strong team against Norwich in midweek, may also stick with a similar lineup, with Eze, Mateta, and Adam Wharton likely to start again.
Matheus Franca is still out injured, and Chadi Riad is now sidelined as well after being forced off just 10 minutes into the midweek game. Riad's injury is a concern for Glasner, especially following Joachim Andersen's departure, but Marc Guehi remains with the team despite strong interest from Newcastle United.
With Sam Johnstone having moved to Wolves, Dean Henderson is now confirmed as the number one goalkeeper for the season, though Matt Turner is coming in from Nottingham Forest to provide competition and backup.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Chelsea possible starting lineup:Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Pedro Neto; Jackson
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Henderson; Clyne, Guehi, Richards; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Kamada, Eze, Mateta
EXPERT PREDICTION
Chelsea 2-2 Crystal Palace
It seems that with so many options, Maresca has quickly figured out his best starting lineup. If Chelsea can replicate their attacking display from the Wolves match, they should be on track for another three points.
Palace, despite their two losses, have shown some promise. However, with key defensive departures and injuries, they've been left vulnerable, and their goal-scoring hasn't picked up like it did at the end of last season.
