Palace earn point in 1-1 draw while misfiring Chelsea continue to crack under pressure
By Paul Lagan at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea 1 v Crystal Palace 1
39, 298
Crystal Palace earned a point at the Bridge as the home side continue to flatter to deceive.
The Blues went 1-0 up through Nicolas Jackson before Eberechi's second half leveller.
Both sides had chances to snatch the full points, but Chelsea's inability to kill off games while showing a continued porous rearguard will mean more results like this.
Too many of thee players looked lost once Palace had equalised and a serious lack of leadership on the pitch needs to be addressed.
The international break may allow Reece James to return to the pitch as Malo Gusto limped off with a hamstring in jury.
Palace can take heart that they know if they can stay in the game, they will with the likes of Eze in the side prove to be a serious threat upfront
After a tepid opening 10 minutes, an effort on goal was finally made, well not on target, but Cole Palmer's curling left-footer was only marginally wide of Dean Henderson's right post, and it looked like the stopper had the goal area covered anyhow.
The visitors had the first shot on target on 16 minutes, when Adam Wharton tried a low left-footer. Robert Sanchez easily snaffled the effort.
Noni had a great chance to score on 22 minutes, yet the winger somehow guided the ball wide of goal, when it looked easier to slot it home.
A fantastic acrobatic save by Henderson two minutes later thwart Noni when he shinned the ball goalwards. Henderson somehow managed to tip the ball over the crossbar.
But eventually the pressure broke the Eagles' defence.
The Noni, Palmer combination ripped the back four apart and Nicolas Jackson had the simplest of tasks to tap the ball home from close range.
Henderson appeared to injure himself when he dived foe the ball/ and was treated for a couple of minutes afterwards.
There were no changes by either side at half-time.
Henderson was soon back in action, tipping over a goal-bound curling, left-footed free kick by Palmer then parrying away a Levi Colwill header for a corn er – all in the opening three minutes of the restart.
Will Hughes with a yellow card to his name and a couple of let offs for fouls was replaced Cheick Doucoure on 50 minutes.
Palace thought they had fluffed up a set-piece and they did, but the ball fell invitingly to Eberechi Eze who produced a wonderful, edge of the area right-footed curler that was just too far away for Sanchez to do anything about and the Eagles were level on 54 minutes.
Maresca decided to bring off Pedro Neto for Joao Felix.
Jackson was given a yellow card for continuing with the ball after the referee blew up for a foul.
Palace then brought on Ismaila Sarr for Mateta on 69 minutes.
Malo Gusto pulled a hamstring on 72 minutes.
Maresca brought on winger Mykhailo Mudryk to replace him. With Moises Caicedo taking on the right-back inverted midfield role.
Daichi Kamada's thunderbolt on 77 minutes almost saw Sanchez let it slip through him. Luckily he managed to parry the ball enough for give Palace a corner, but the breakaway by the South Londoners almost reaped serious dividends.
Noni was hauled off with five minutes left on the clock – Christopher Nkunku took to the stage to try and turn the Blues fortunes around.
Palace responded with Kamada coming of for Jeffrey Schlupp.
To be fair to both sides, they went for a win, Jackson smacked the ball into the side netting, while Henderson managed to get his body to Jackson's shot after he broke free.
Teams: Chelsea: Sanchez, Cucurella, Colwill Neto, Enzo, Noni, Jackson, Palmer, Caicedo, Gusto, Fofana
Subs: Jorgensen, Disasi, Tosin, Mudryk, Felix, Nkunku, Dewsbury-Hall, Casadei, Veiga
Palace: Henderson, Mitchell, Guehi, Eze, Munoz, Mateta, Clyne, Kamada, Hughes, Wharton, Richards
Subs: Matthews, Ward, Sarr, Schlupp, Doucoure, Rodney, Umeh-Chibueze, Devenny, Agbinone
Referee: Jarred Gillett
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