Enzo Maresca’s side stumbled into the holiday break, losing their final two games of the year and slipping down the table, a far cry from league leaders Liverpool. After an impressive eight-game winning streak following November’s international break, the Blues suddenly find themselves without a win in their last three matches, including painful defeats to Fulham and Ipswich Town.
They couldn’t find a way past Everton before Christmas, then suffered a last-minute heartbreak against Fulham at Stamford Bridge, and followed that up by gifting Ipswich their first top-flight home win since returning to the Premier League.
Maresca admitted he knew this kind of dip could happen, but the timing couldn’t be worse. Chelsea are now fourth in the table, 10 points off the top, and Liverpool have a game in hand. It’s looking like their slim title hopes might be slipping away.
The loss to Ipswich is especially worrying. Despite dominating possession and racking up shots, Chelsea rarely looked dangerous. Ipswich took their chances and walked away 2-0 winners.
To make matters worse, Chelsea haven’t scored in their last two away games. If they draw another blank at Selhurst Park, it’ll be the first time in almost six years they’ve gone three straight away matches without a goal, the last time being under Maurizio Sarri. A loss here could push Chelsea out of the top four, too, if Newcastle beat Spurs and the goal difference swings against them.
But if Chelsea are desperate for a pick-me-up, Palace might be the perfect opponent. The Blues have won 12 of their 15 Premier League visits to Selhurst Park, the best win ratio any team has managed against another in the league when playing at least 10 times at their ground. Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Palace in September ended a 14-game winning streak against them, but Palace haven’t avoided defeat in both league meetings with Chelsea in a single season since before the Premier League era.
History isn’t on Palace’s side in this matchup. No club has beaten them more times in the Premier League than Chelsea, with the Eagles losing 24 times to the Blues. However, recent form gives Palace some hope.
After a dreadful start to the season with no wins in their first eight league games, Oliver Glasner’s side have turned a corner, losing just twice in their last 11 matches. The catch? Both of those defeats came at home in London derbies against Fulham and Arsenal which doesn’t bode well for this weekend.
Palace picked up a 2-1 win over Southampton in their last game, but that was only their second victory in 10 home matches this season. Too many draws have kept them stuck in 15th place, just five points above the relegation zone.
The weeks ahead will be crucial for Palace. After Chelsea and their FA Cup outing, they face struggling Leicester, West Ham, Manchester United, Everton, and Brentford, a tough run of games that could shape the rest of their season.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Palace will welcome back their captain, Marc Guehi, for the clash against Chelsea after he missed last weekend’s win over Southampton due to suspension. The former Chelsea academy player will be a key addition to their backline.However, Adam Wharton is still unlikely to feature as he continues to recover from a groin injury. Even without him, Palace’s lineup has become more consistent lately, with Will Hughes and Jefferson Lerma forming a solid midfield duo, while Ismaila Sarr has been a real attacking threat.
As for Chelsea, Enzo Maresca took the opportunity against Ipswich to give some of his Conference League players a start, including Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix, and Filip Jorgensen. But after that disappointing defeat, he’s expected to revert to the regular starters who featured throughout December.
Jorgensen, who gave away a penalty that put Ipswich ahead, will likely make way for Robert Sanchez in goal. Meanwhile, Nicolas Jackson and Pedro Neto are both set to return after sitting out the trip to Portman Road.
Reece James was on the bench for Chelsea’s last match but didn’t get any game time. He could feature this time around, though Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile remain unavailable in defense.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:Henderson; Chalobah, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Hughes, Lerma, Mitchell; Sarr, Mateta, Eze
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Enzo, Caicedo; Pedro Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson
EXPERT PREDICTION
Crystal Palace 1-2 Chelsea
Chelsea, on the other hand, are starting to show cracks. Their goal-scoring has dried up, and defensive mistakes are proving costly. Maresca's men are in for another tough test this weekend.
