Date: Sunday 1st
September 2024
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Kick-off: 13:30 BST
Well we had a stormer against Wolves last weekend, in the second half at least, but any fan boy shouts of ‘we’re back’ were premature in the extreme judging by the state of us against Servette midweek again. Ok, we didn’t have our strongest XI out there but given half of us hadn’t even heard of the opposition before the competition, losing to them just underlines the lack of depth despite the numbers. Not that you’d know it from deadline day of course, putting all our eggs in a basket marked ‘no discounts’ and coming away instead with Jadon Sancho, and the only thing achieved from the unrequited Osimhen love is another blow to Jackson’s confidence and the inevitable repeat of verbal fisticuffs with Mikel.
Anyway, enough about the inept management and onto today’s
game as we play host to Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. We completed the
double over Palace last season, making it 13 wins against them in the Premier
League. We did lose our first home game of the season though.
Palace, meanwhile, have lost both games so far, so we could
look at that two ways: either they’re not very good and we could stretch our
run against them, or they were just warming up and they’ll go all out for their
first win today.
By the way, the last two occasions we’ve scored 6 in the Premier
League, we lost the next game.
.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into today’s game, Enzo Maresca says “They [Palace] are a very good team – I watched the two games they lost against Brentford and West Ham and they could’ve won both of them. They also finished last year very good, and I don’t think it is a bad moment for them. Sometimes you are just a bit lucky or unlucky, but for sure they are very dangerous with Mateta and Eze, they have quality up front and Wharton in the middle is a fantastic player, so they are going to be good.”
Crystal
Palace manager, Oliver
Glasner, says “I watched [against Servette] in the Europa League. They
changed eight or nine players, but they’re still fantastic players on the
pitch, and it’s clear what they were looking for: very talented
players in offence, a lot of pace.
It’s unbelievable pace they have, and also in defence, a lot of power, with the new manager, clear structure, how we want to play, you see many short passes, building up in the 3-2, 5-3, 2-4-1. Very flexible, especially in the last game against the Wolves, very aggressive, very high-press. It will be a good challenge for us, and our mindset never changes, so we go to Stamford Bridge to take the win.”
SQUAD NEWS
For Chelsea, not only are we now paying
Sterling to play for that lot in North London, we’ve lent our best centre back
to today’s opponents. From those we didn’t force out or sit in the reserves, Pedro Neto, Wesley Fofana and Malo Gusto are available after their rest midweek.
Romeo Lavia (hamstring) and Reece James (thigh) remain out.
For Crystal Palace, Chadi Riad (knee) and Matheus Franca are out.
TEAMS
CHELSEA (Possible line-up): Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill,
Cucurella; Caicedo; Fernandez, Madueke, Palmer, Pedro Neto; Jackson
CRYSTAL PALACE
(Possible line-up): Henderson; Clyne, Guehi, Richards; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes,
Mitchell; Kamada, Eze, Mateta
LAST SEASON
Chelsea 2-1 Crystal
Palace (27th December 2023)
CURRENT FORM (PL)
CHELSEA: LW
CRYSTAL PALACE: LL
OTHER STUFF
- Chelsea have won their last 13 Premier League
games against Crystal Palace.
- Chelsea have won 24 of the 30 Premier League
meetings.
- There has not been a draw in any of the last
27 encounters in all competitions.
- Chelsea lost their opening home game this
season.
- Chelsea have won four consecutive Premier
League London derbies at Stamford Bridge, keeping a clean sheet in each of
the last three.
- Crystal Palace have lost their first two games
this season.
- Crystal Palace have won only one of their last
21 Premier League away London derbies.
PREDICTION
Sportsmole: Chelsea 2-1 Crystal Palace
