Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace as Eberechi Eze’s excellent second-half strike earned Oliver Glasner’s side their first Premier League point of the season at Stamford Bridge.
Fresh from scraping through their Conference League qualifier despite defeat to Servette on Thursday, Enzo Maresca saw his team dominate Palace in the first half as he sought back-to-back league wins.
There appeared to be a smooth path to victory when Nicolas Jackson tucked away Cole Palmer’s pass midway through the first half to hand the hosts the lead their football warranted.
Chances to add to their tally came and went and so it was against the run of play when Eze delicately curled Palace level early in the second period, placing the ball masterfully out of goalkeeper Robert Sanchez’s reach to stun home fans in west London.
Chelsea had kept the ball patiently for the opening 10 minutes and went close with the game’s first chance, Palmer taking possession 25 yards out from Wesley Fofana’s pass, advancing into space and whipping an effort inches wide.
Adam Wharton replied in kind for Palace, driving low from outside the box with his left foot and forcing a save from Sanchez. It would be his team’s only sight of goal during a half dominated by the hosts.
Chelsea were a whisker away from taking the lead after 20 minutes when defender Marc Guehi allowed a high ball from Fofana to drop over his shoulder and in through the gap stole Noni Madueke, opening up his body in search of the corner but sweeping wide.
Madueke went close again minutes later when he evaded Tyrick Mitchell and got his foot to Enzo Fernandez’s fine raking ball only to be denied by a superb reaction save from Dean Henderson.
The goal came from an excellent Chelsea break. Levi Colwill dispossessed Guehi and fed Madueke who rocketed over the halfway line away from Will Hughes, slipping the ball down the right side of the box for Palmer.
Welcome to the Bridge, Jadon. 🏡#CFC | #CHECRY pic.twitter.com/Lz9640uVDe
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 1, 2024
Last season’s top scorer made three assists during last weekend’s 6-2 win over Wolves and he claimed another here, spotting Jackson at the far post and flicking it low back across goal for the striker to finish the move with an easy tap-in.
Henderson saved well from Palmer and Colwill in the first moments of the second half as Chelsea threatened a second but within minutes their lead was wiped out and spectacularly so.
Cheick Doucoure’s thunderous drive hit Fofana and the ball broke to the edge of the box for Eze, who with a nonchalant right foot scooped it wide of Sanchez’s dive and into the corner for 1-1.
Suddenly the game was taking place entirely in Chelsea’s half and Palace looked the likelier to score a second.
Eze was inches from reaching a low cross ahead of Malo Gusto who saved his team with a superb sliding intervention, before Sanchez fumbled Daichi Kamada’s driven effort through his hands, the goalkeeper fortunate to see the ball skip away from his grasp and behind.
Jackson drilled into the side netting in stoppage time when Joao Felix outside him looked a better option and was then denied one-on-one by another fine Henderson stop, as time ran out for Maresca’s side.
[(Manchester City F.C.) Strength]: 1. Manchester City F.C. started with a 4-0 away win over Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. in the first game of the new season. New signings Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki both made their debuts and scored, while Erling Haaland scored a brace, showcasing his excellent form. Returning to the Etihad Stadium for this round, they face old rivals Tottenham Hotspur F.C....
[(Mallorca) Strength]: 1. Mallorca made a poor start in the new season. They are motivated to bounce back with a win as they continue to play at home this time.[(Mallorca) Weakness]: 1. Manu Morlanes and Vedat Muriqi were sent off by red cards respectively in the last game, thus being suspended.2. Mallorca lost to the defending champions FC Barcelona 0-3 at home in the last league game.3. Mallorca...
[(Bayer 04 Leverkusen) Strength]: 1. Bayer 04 Leverkusen finished second in the Bundesliga standings last season with a record of 19 wins, 12 draws and 3 losses. The team scored 72 goals and conceded 43 in 34 games. Unfortunately, they failed to defend their league title. As they make their season debut at home in this game, the team are full of determination to perform well.2. Bayer 04 Leverkusen...
[(Arsenal) Strength]: 1. Arsenal secured a 1-0 away victory over Manchester United in their opening Premier League game, getting their season off to a winning start. As last season's Premier League runners-up, the team's goal for the new season is to remain in the title race, so every win is crucial. Hosting this game, they hope to continue their winning momentum and consolidate their position in ...
[(SC Freiburg) Strength]: 1. SC Freiburg are undoubtedly motivated to start the new season with a win in this home game.2. SC Freiburg's head coach Julian Schuster was elected Germany's Coach of the Year 2025. Kicker revealed the voting details, with Julian Schuster receiving 97 votes to claim the top spot, followed by Horst Steffen and Hansi Flick in second and third place respectively.3. During ...
[(Levante) Strength]: 1. Levante full-back Jeremy Toljan scored a goal in the last league game, once helping the team tie the game.2. Levante conceded 4 goals in the last 5 games and kept 3 clean sheets, revealing commendable defense.3. Levante received 13 wins, 7 draws, and 1 loss in 21 home games of the Segunda Division last season, with a high win rate of 62%, indicating reliable home strength....
[(Yunnan Yukun) Strength]: 1. Yunnan Yukun have been strong in offense at home, scoring a total of 14 goals in their last 5 home games. Their scoring ability should not be underestimated.2. Yunnan Yukun have achieved 7 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss in their last 10 home games, with a win rate of 70%. The team have been strong at home.3. Yunnan Yukun won all of their last 7 home games in AH.[(Yunnan Yuk...
[(Club Tijuana) Strength]: 1. Club Tijuana are currently ranked 7th in the Liga MX standings with 8 points. Hosting this match against C.D. Guadalajara, who have been in poor form recently, the team have a clear intention to fight. They hope to take advantage of their home ground to continue their winning momentum and further consolidate and improve their league ranking.2. Club Tijuana defeated C....
[(Brentford) Strength]: 1. Brentford's new manager, Keith Andrews, has officially taken over the team from the former manager. This match will be his first Premier League home game in charge, and the new manager is determined to lead the team to a victorious start at home.2. Brentford have shown a stable performance in attack. The team have scored a total of 5 goals in the last 4 matches, and have...
[(Cerezo Osaka) Strength]: 1. Cerezo Osaka recorded 8 wins and 1 loss in the last 9 home games, showing strong home performances. They won 3-1 over Albirex Niigata in the last home game.[(Cerezo Osaka) Weakness]: 1. Cerezo Osaka are 9th in the league table. Facing 2nd-placed Vissel Kobe, they find it hard to win this game, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Cerezo Osaka forward Rafael Ratao will mi...
- 1 TIPS - Cerezo Osaka VS Vissel Kobe
- 2 BVB, Monaco and Ajax go for unwanted West Ham midfielder Alvarez
- 3 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 4 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 5 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 6 TIPS - Gwangju FC VS Daejeon Hana Citizen
- 7 Sevilla Set Price for Man United Target as Club Seek Baleba Alternatives
- 8 Man United Make Goalkeeper Decision Amid Onana and Bayindir Uncertainty
- 9 Nantes vs PSG Prediction for 18 August 2025 - Football
- 10 Daily Laugh - Sunderland top of the table