Righto, Jaccob Steinberg’s report is with us.
That means we’re finished here, so all that’s to do is enjoy Rob Smyth’s coverage of Manchester United v Arsenal. Not bad!
So enjoy the rest of the weekend and peace out.
“You wrote,” begins Philip Cornwall, my production editor – gulp! – “‘I agree. As soon as I saw the shove, I said no goal, but we didn’t even get that far because there was a prior infringement.’
This got me thinking. I don’t think there was a prior infringement. The offence cited is being closer than a yard to a wall, which is defined as three or more defenders. Guehi only got within a yard of the closest of the men in the wall after the shove – so the shove was the first infringement.
I imagine we will see lots of examples of attackers less than a yard away at free-kicks who do not shove anyone, and no offence given. The law is there to prevent interference with defenders. Guehi interfered with defenders and then got close to the wall. Palace fans will feel aggrieved because of other goals standing despite infractions of the law cited, yet it was surely right that the goal was disallowed.”
Yup, I agree the call was correct and would’ve been for the foul, even if there was no law stipulating how close to the wall an attacker can get. As for Guehi, the split-second before contact, he was almost in the wall, so I’m not sure the contact infringement could come prior to the proximity infringement, as to infringe he necessarily had to be proximate/
I enjoy Rooney as a pundit. He’s managed and coached – without success, yes, but he’s still had to think about the game in that way – played at the top level, speaks well, and is always honest. I’m looking forward to seeing how he does.
I can’t overstate how impressed I am with Palace. Their captain and talisman both seem to want away, but both turned up today and led a performance of enterprise, composure and resolve. They have to add to the squad before the window closes, even if both of their stars stay, but I’m sure they’re ready for the eventuality that they leave.
“Props for the Eraserhead reference!” says Michael Coppejans. “I would love to see Parish’s quiff if possible. Granted match is over, so maybe next time. On that note, the more Lynch references the better!”
It’s an absolute joy, so here’s last Sunday’s interpretation.
Updated
Of course, nothing will be decided today. But I don’t look at Chelsea and see very much, if anything at all, that makes me think “potential champs”. And, though my standards are no standard at all, given the money spent I don’t think anyone should be saying that of them.
Elsewhere, Forest have beaten Brentford 3-1. Whether that tells us more about the former or the latter remains to be seen.
FULL TIME: Chelsea 0-0 Crystal Palace
No one who watched these sides last season will be surprised by that. Chelsea lack devastating attackers and attacking cohesion; Palace are nasty on the counter and defend the box like demons.
90+7 min The corner is headed clear, and that’s our lot.
90+6 min Chelsea build again, looking to fashion one more opportunity, but Palace are set, Richards coming out wide to the by-line, blocking behind when Neto finds Palmer. This is Chelsea’s last go.
90+4 min But they come again, Neto crossing towards the back post, where the knock down is nowhere near Delap – who’s made a difference.
90+3 min HERE’S THE CHANCE! Chalobah clips into Delap, back to goal, who cleverly turns off wide, with Palace expecting him to turn towards the centre. Running on to the ball is Cucurella, who squares nicely, and Andrey Santos is there, in space, with time! So of course he panics, hoiking a dreadful effort over the top, and that might be as good as it gets for Chelsea.
90+1 min We’ll have six additional minutes and there’s no sense Chelsea will score during them – though of course, with the players the have, they might. But Palace clear the corner comfortably; their back three have been superb today.
90 min Ball over the top, dropping over Delap’s shoulder, and he watches it well but only catches it with his toes, Henderson blocking then collecting. That was a quarter-chance and still one of the best Chelsea have created today; they then win a corner, which yields another.
89 min A few minutes ago, we saw Steve Parish’s quiff, looking especially lustrous and eraserhead today, then Todd Boehly’s coat, of which we have photographic evidence.
88 min The corner is cleared easily enough, then Palmer feeds Gusto who, with space in front of him, bursts into it then, from 30 yards, lamps a shot over the top.
87 min Chelsea have been really disappointing today. They lack attacking cohesion and their midfielders are good individually but not a particularly well-balanced unit. But Delap puts pressure on Lacroix and the ball comes in, the defender doing well to stand strong and concede a corner.
86 min “Every time Eze has had a free-kick controversially disallowed in the first game of the season,” writes the returning David Devenny, “Palace have gone on to win the FA Cup. Just sayin’.”
85 min Teams are in at Old Trafford. Join the great Rob Smyth for all the buildup.
84 min Is this the last we see of Eze in a Palace shirt? For reasons not obvious, he’s removed before the corner is taken, with Justin Devenny coming on; Chelsea then clear easily.
82 min And Palace sense that, I think. Lerma finds Eze, who glides forward and has Mitchell free outside him! But he doesn’t feed him, instead slapping a shot that’s too close to Sanchez and the keeper shovels behind.
80 min Palace are so good at defending as a five, but attacking with numbers too. Chelsea have struggled to find that space behind the wing-backs, and don’t loo capable of the quick interplay that beats set blocks.
78 min Palmer looks for Estevao, but Guehi intercepts well, and Palace move forward, Mateta again holding off Acheampong to win a throw deep inside the Chelsea half. So Maresca sends on Gusto and Andrey Santos for Fernandez and James, not changes that look especially result-altering, but perhaps Guasto can offer more attacking width.
76 min Palace are pinned back now, but perhaps they don’t mind being – Chelsea aren’t creating much and in so doing, they open space for them to attack on the counter. And, as I type, Mateta allows a long ball to drop, holding off Acheampong easily, then unloads a snap-shot from 25 yards, which Sanchez gathers at the second attempt.
74 min Palace clear yet another ball into the box and Munoz carries clear, so Estevao slides in with abandon. He’s booked, and so far, doesn’t look the sort to let a game pass him by.
73 min Neto back into Lacroix then collapses, and the ref buys it, awarding Chelsea a free-kick down the left and in a dangerous position. Before they can take it, Maresca sends Delap on for Pedro, who’s been silent; that won’t be so of Delap, who hunts out conflict pathologically.
72 min I’d like to see more from Reece James in attack. I know he’s got to watch Eze, but Chelsea are doing very little down their right and need to stretch the play.
71 min The corner is cleared easily enough.
70 min Munoz slams over a cross from the right, headed behind for a corner, then Palace send on Lerma for Hughes, which makes sense: they needed to make a change because they’re no longer competing in midfield.
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68 min “There was absolutely no way that the officials were going to allow that,” says Andy Flintoff. “Guehi shoved the defender, then the ball went through the hole that was left behind. Now, they should police holding/blocking/shoving at other set pieces just like that, but I can see some of the Bigger Rich Clubs complaining loudly if that were to happen.”
I agree. As soon as I saw the shove, I said no goal, but we didn’t even get that far because there was a prior infringement.
66 min Chelsea have upped the intensity and are threatening now. They move it down the left, slide Palmer in, and his cut-back reaches Estavao, in space. The first touch is heavy, but takes him more central, and Neto is storming on to the ball … but Estavao wants to score, trying to get his left foot around it to shoot. He does, but the stretch tips his head back, sending the effort well over the top. I daresay he hears some words from his teammates about that behaviour.
65 min Romário is in the crowd. More importantly, where did he go last evening and where is he going this evening?
65 min Chelsea spread it left and the cross comes in then, when it’s headed down by a defender, I don’t see which, Palmer takes a second to consider, when he might simply introduce laces to leather, and the chance evaporates.
62 min While I was typing that, Chalobah’s cross won Chelsea a corner, which Palace cleared easily enough. I absolutely adore their box defending.
61 min “Totally agree with you about the demise of going round the keeper,” says Sunil Gossain. “What we tend to see now is the dink over the keeper. IMO it’s probably a combination of technically better players but also players being coached to do that.”
Back in the day, though, by which i mean, of course my day, so the 80s, the dink finish, known as the Peter Beardsley, was also widely used. My guess is it’s more a margin of error thing – the slot is less likely to make the striker look silly.
60 min “Like most people, I was doubtful that Chris Wood had another 20 goal season in him,” says Kári Tulinius, “but he’s already a tenth of the way there in this season’s first half of football. I can’t tell if he’s improved noticeably, or if his particular set of skills is uniquely suitable to the moment. Perhaps football is a striker’s game again.”
He’s being used well, in a side that’s functioning exactly as its manager wants it to. Everything is in place for him to succeed, and his contribution to that is also bang-on.
59 min Palmer curls into the wall … into Richards’ phizog to be precise … and Palace clear, then the defender accepts treatment.
57 min Marc Geuhi is the first, but really, he makes himself look silly, allowing Estevao to bundle through then away from him after the tackle looks good enough. The cross isn’t bad either, whacked at Neto, who can’t quite cushion his header well enough to bother Henderson. But Chelsea maintain pressure winning a free-kick 23 yards out, just right of centre. James and Palmer are behind it…
55 min Caicedo dashes away from Mateta, who stretches and treads on his foot. Mateta, remember, has also been booked, and though that wasn’t a deliberate foul, it wasn’t far off another card.
55 min On Gittens, by the way, what am I missing? We all have players who we know are good but never seem to be when we see them, and he’s one of those for me: I’ve heard about the talent and I can see signs of it, but I’ve never seen him play really well.
54 min It’s Gittens, Estevao coming on, and it’s still amazing how young and scrawny he looks. I can’t wait to see him make colossal, much older men look silly.
53 min Estevao has been warming up. I imagine we’ll see him soon, with Gittens or Neto making way; Gittens has been livelier but Neto is the senior man. Meantime, Palmer wallops a low cross that Henderson dives to palm away.
52 min Palace spread left to Mitchell, whose instacross is kicked into touch. So far, the pattern of the game – Chelsea huffing and Palace springing – remains the same.
50 min “First, you can referee by the spirit of the game as that’s written into the laws,” reckons Norrie Hernon. “‘Law 5 (The Referee), means referees should make decisions based on common sense and the overall fairness of the match, even if a strict interpretation of the laws might be possible’. The main point is that rather than hiding behind esoteric laws from 2019 no one has heard of, but rather when it’s been applied in the last six years, and why apply it now?”
The law is the law and its esotericism – I’ve not a clue what makes one that – is not relevant. Refs can’t simply ignore things if someone scores a nice goal.
49 min Caicedo controls a ball beautifully, running into it as it drops and weaving away from his man, then past Hughes, who hauls him back; he’s booked, as he knew he would be.
46 min “Even the VAR didn’t say it was a foul,” says Adeem Sadiq, “but your first reaction was to tell it was a clear foul and right call. Are we going to be gaslit like that throughout the season? The new directives are silly, and no actual fan wants more disallowed goals.”
Gaslit! I thought it was a foul, I’ve seen it again, I think it’s a foul. I’m not totally sure what constitutes an “actual fan”, but believe it’s generally considered fair, just and reasonable for the laws of the game to be applied. On the other hand, Chris Sutton said roughly what you did, so.
46 min We go again…
Half-time email: “‘I don’t see a player, bar Cole Palmer, good enough to win them games they might otherwise draw or lose,’” says Chris Wright, quoting me back to myself. “Can’t argue with that logic.”
Well yes, as I said prior to, there are other teams who have more than that – and, as I also said, I’m not certain abut Palmer’s ability to do that regularly under Maresca.
#CHECRY – 13’ VAR OVERTURN
— Premier League Match Centre (@PLMatchCentre) August 17, 2025
After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of goal to Crystal Palace.
Referee announcement: “After review, away number six is less than one metre away from the wall as the shot is taken. Therefore, it's an indirect free kick and a…
And a game from 1970…
Bit of news for your half-time reading:
HALF-TIME: Chelsea 0-0 Crystal Palace
The chat will be about the disallowed goal, but the law is clear on the point, however much we enjoy brilliant players scoring brilliant goals.
45+4 min Sanchez comes for a cross, maybe gets knuckles on it, and also punches Guehi in the head. Palace want a penalty, the ref and VAR say naw, and though I get the appeal, that feels like the correct call. There was no danger in the situation, not much contact, and no one should get an 80% chance of a goal for that
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46+3 min Yeah, Forest are at it and Brentford are not: Chris Wood has put the home side 3-0 up. Not the greatest first half of a managerial career we’ve ever seen, and Keith Andrews will be feeling poorly in the extreme. Also, Wood’s second goal came by way of rounding the keeper; we used to see that a lot and no see it hardly ever, anyone any theories as to why?
46+2 min Richards does pretty well to get a head on Neto’s volleyed cross and, though the ball eventually drops to Palmer, who volleys, the shot is blocked at source.
45 min We’ll have five additional minutes; at the City Ground, Dan Ndoye has put Forest 2-0 up against Brentford. On which point, i fear fore them, and if I supported a promoted side, they’re one I’d be looking to to allow mine to stay up.
44 min One of the things Chelsea lack, I think, is an astute passer in midfield – and we’re seeing that writ large through the performance so far of Wharton. I wouldn’t say he’s controlling the game, but a significant chunk of the best stuff we’ve seen in it has come because his sharp passing creates an environment for it.
42 min “Happy season’s beginnings!” opens Russell Yong. “I think the thing with Chelsea is this team have been in far too much flux to allow for an effective judgment. Look at today’s team, for example: including subs, only three players (Fofana, James and Chalobah) were even here three years ago. Literally half of them were bought in 2023 and 2024, and six (Delap, Gittens, Joao Pedro, Hato, Estevao, Essugo) in 2025, plus two more youth-teamers. That’s a whole new team over the last two years, and half a new team again this summer. Last season encapsulated the turbulence; it took most of the season to play into any sort of coherence and form, by which point it was too late to catch up and really influence the title. The hopeful signs are that, looking at today’s team, Maresca still largely trusts the core that finished last season so strongly and won the CWC. There are six new signings, but only two actually starting. It might portend a more stable team, one that knows who its best players and their best positions are, improvements made on those who most needed improving (Gittens over Madueke? Pedro over Jackson?). With games spread across four competitions and coming thick and fast most of the season, everyone will get minutes and there will be less pressure on players like Lavia to be rushed back unless there’s an injury crisis. I’m not a Chelsea fan, but I like their players and there’s a deep fascination in seeing how this team might shape up.”
I agree they’ve plenty of good players, but I still look at their team and see a lack of top quality as well as a missing part or two. We’ll see how it goes, but I’d back Liverpool, City and Arsenal to all finish above them, probably by a bit.
40 min James tosses in and Munoz heads out. Palace’s back three – or five – defend the box so well, and by sitting relativrly deep give their midfield space to build the play. So far, they look to have a much better idea of what they’re doing than Chelsea.
39 min Eze curls in but no one can touch it home – and Lacroix was probably offside.
38 min There’s a lack of precision in Chelsea’s passing, which it’s hard not to ascribe to the lack of precise passers in their team; who do they have to set a tempo? Meantime. Eze megs James, already cautioned and already committed to the tackle; the foul is inevitable and so too is the final warning the ref seems to administer. Free-kick Palace, left touchline, 25 yards out.
36 min We’ve barely seen Cole Palmer so far – but of course we also know he can appear into a game out of nothing, refocus it to be all about him, settle it, then disappear again.
34 min “I don’t think anyone sees Eze as the second coming of Harry Kane,” writes Ron Stack, “but I’d like to see Spurs put a good team together without a superstar up front. I think Frank did well managing Brentford as a collective and I’d be happy to see him do the same at Spurs.
In any case, I’m still convinced that Levy’s strategy is to play for third or fourth. The step up to first or second is very expensive and risky, and Champions League brings in plenty of revenue even without a trophy.”
Definitely – Levy, like the Glazers, is in this for the money not the glory, and the amount you have to speculate to push for the title is not part of the plan. The problem he has is that there are now so many teams with Champions League ambitions and budgets it’s impossible to see how Sopurs break into it – which is, if i was Eze, I’d think about staying at Palace, though I think Frank is a really good appointment.
33 min Gittens does well in defence, winning a challenge then proceeding into another, where he’s caught by Mateta … who’s booked. That looked a little harsh.
31 min The corner causes minor consternation, a curler from Gittens deflected by Guehi, who can’t sort feet out to clear, and the ball arrives at Chalobah, who can’t sort feet out to shoot, instead humping over the top – I think with the aid of a deflection, but the ref gives a goalkick.
30 min Gittens pulls wide and flicks into the box for Pedro, who holds up briefly, then Caicdeo stomps on to the loose ball on the edge, his shot deflected behind for a corner.
Updated
28 min Cucurella ducks to win a header and Munoz piles through him. That must be an extremely unpleasant sensation akin to being tickled by a truck, and the Palace man is booked.
27 min Chelsea are really struggling to get hold of the ball in midfield. So far, Wharton has been far more influential than Caicedo and Fernandez and really, it’s great but surprising he’s still at Palace. After the last Euros, I was told he was the player that members of the England squad would be telling their managers they had to buy, but he looks set for a second season since then enjoying the Selhurst vibe.
25 min A long ball frees Neto who has Pedro in the middle, but he’s double-teamed before he can square – really, he’s too slow to – and wins a corner instead. In comes to nothing.
25 min James is booked for a foul out on the right touchline and Palce take it short for Eze, who hits a speculative long-ranger straight at Sanchez.
23 min I’ve amended the goal disallowed entry, but for those not checking below, the infringement wasn’t the shove but that Guehi was too close to the wall. Decisions are now being explained over the stadium PA but I didn’t quite hear what was said.
21 min I knew I’d see something like the Eze goal before, and this is where. Lee Glover got away with it that day and we all coped, but the officials were rousted at half-time if i remember correctly.
19 min Better from Wharton – Palace are the better side now – taking the ball, lending it out, receiving it back, and guiding a terrific pass in behind for Mateta, whose first touch takes him into the box and he’s in! But he can’t quite get it out of his feet so must shoot from around him, lashing straight at Sanchez, who blocks to safety.
17 min “Thank God for VAR,” reckons Niall Mullen. “That sort of shocking injustice is exactly why it was introduced in the first place.”
Now this is a different argument. I’d not have introduced VAR in the first place, and would scrap it in a second, but that was still a foul.
16 min I’m not remotely surprised Chris Sutton thinks it was a foul “by the letter of the law” but also that the goal should’ve stood. We can’t run the game according to aesthetics and buzz, I’m afraid.
NO GOAL! Chelsea 0-0 Crystal Palace
It is a shove from Geuhi and if we’re being honest, we can say that yes, brilliant finish, and also yes, it feels wrong to disallow a goal for that. But it’s still a foul, so what choice did the officials have? Oh, but actually the goal was disallowed because Guehi was too close to the Chelsea wall. On that basis, there’s nothing else to say.
Updated
VAR wants a look at Guehi’s involvement…
WHAT A GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Crystal Palace (Eze 13)
AND THERE IT IS! You could tell by the way he lined it up that he wasn’t bothering with the frippery of finesse and he wasn’t, Guehi helping lever Cucurella away and the ball absolutely assaulted through the gap. It’s almost straight at Sanchez who, unsighted, can’t quite shovel it away.
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13 min I say deft, but there’s a also a foot-through possibility…
11 min Palace are growing into this, Munoz making ground down the right and Eze carrying across the face of the Chelsea box before Cucurella is late on Hughes inside the D. The ref allows play to continue for a second, in case there’s an advantage, before blowing up. Free-kick Palace, in a dangerous area if someone is deft enough to get the ball up and down from so close to the box; Eze fancies it…
10 min Looking again at the Richards header, it was drifting well wide, and I’m not actually sure why Sanchez dived for it; that does not reflect well on his judgment.
9 min Richards and Gittens are back, but now Sarr is complaining about arm-knack. He did, though, win a free-kick first, which’ll be pumped into the box from 45 yards away; Richards is up, but Sanchez saves easily enough.
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7 min We’re all wondering how Forest will fare this season – can they maintain their level without the elements of surprise? Well, Chris Wood has put them ahead against Brentford, a goal we’ve been shown by Sky, who now have permission to screen every 2pm kick-off. This is a good development, or would be were it not for all the bad things that come with blanket telly coverage.
6 min A break in play as Richards and Gittens have clashed. Both should be fine.
4 min Again, Cucurella wins the flick at the near post – Palace have to sort that, Cucurella is shorter than my 11-year-old daughter – and Sarr eases Fernandez out of it, deploying just enough force to ge tit done and not quite enough to risk sanction.
3 min James swings in, Cucurella flicks on at the near post, how is Wharton allowing that?! The ball loops towards the far post, where Sarr is forced to nod behind for a corner from the other side; it yields another, Wharton’s defensive work sloppy once more.
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2 min “It may well be that Eze agrees with you re a move to Spurs,” says Dave Dudding. “Suspect he (and Palace) will hold out for as long as possible to see if Arsenal make a move. And that would be worth his while.”
Meantime, Gittens wins a corner off Richards; first chance for Chelsea to make something happen/
1 min A very nice first “action” from Achemampong, dropping a shoulder to cary out of defence and pass into midfield. He’ll feel better for that and, we can be very sure, he’s already never felt better.
1 min Away we go, Palmer insouciantly knocking the ball back to Sanchez. I hope this is not a portent.
A silence for Diogo Jota and Andre Silva. Go well, boys.
“I do get your point on Eze and it’s quite spot-on,” writes Karen Asad. I like him so much that I keep hoping at least Arsenal come up with an offer and snap him up. That’s closer to a big club move than moving to Spurs. I also hoped United would accept Saudi offer for Bruno and replace him with Eze. That would have been fantastic!”
I love Eze as a player – he’s such an artist – but I’m not certain he’s quite good enough to be a main man in a side challenging for the biggest trophies. I would, though, enjoy seeing him try.
Did Enzo Fernandez hit a new level during the summer? I’m not certain I’d be picking him if Romeo Lavia was fit, but that’s not a regular occurrence and I felt he was beginning to find a way pf balancing defensive and attacking responsibilities without the elite athletic ability to make that much easier.
Our teams are tunnelled and here they come!
“Not sure I can get behind all your preamble thoughts on Chelsea,” chides Scott O’Brien. “Yes, mid-season Chelsea were sterile and lacking in character but early season and then the close-out have been pretty good – you get the feeling that they are learning to shift between risk-averse possession football and the sort of fast, transitional chaos that they had at the start of the season and in the close of the previous season under Pochettino.
In terms of outstanding players, I think that Caicedo and Palmer are in that bracket, James is there when fit and firing. If the qualification is 3/4 in a good team, then I reckon that’s close to Arsenal (Rice, Saka, Saliba, Raya) and City (Haaland and … some unproven but exciting additions, like Chelsea). Liverpool more clearly established (Alisson, Van Dijk, Mac Allister, Salah). That’s why 3rd or 4th seems a sensible prediction, but could push on.”
I’m interested see how Palmer goes this season – I know he was brilliant in the CWC final, but I’m less certain his maverick tendencies and out-of possession work meld that well with what Maresca wants. I agree on Reece James, but that comes with the if of fitness but also the fact that he’s a right-back and there’s only so much difference he can make to a game, and I like Caicedo but is he really one of the top five in the world in his position? I’m not sure he’s even top 10.
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It is somewhat strange to hear Chris Sutton complain – stick with me! – about Nicolas Jackson not being a good enough centre-forward for Chelsea. The comparison: one goal in 28 games versus 24 goals in 65 games.
Email! “I can’t agree with your view that Chelsea aren’t good enough to win the title,” offers-out Rick Harris. “They were good enough to win the Club World Cup and Estevao looks some player, while they have a lot of squad depth as well. You can point at any of the likely contenders and ask, what happens if Van Dyck gets injured, or Haaland suffers a season ending ACL rupture, or Arsenal have significant injuries to any number of players like Saka, Rice or Gabriel. Chelsea look like they still have money to spend so a few more players may be incoming to add to what already looks like a strong squad. I’d put them right up there as likely PL champions.”
I think winning the CWC will be a problem too, as I mentioned in the preamble, and i also don’t think Chelsea would’ve won it had all involved taken it as seriously as they did. But more than that, I don’t see a player, bar Cole Palmer, good enough to win them games they might otherwise draw or lose.
Glasner speaks to Sky, saying it’s easy to manage the players despite the success as they’re a great group, so they celebrated on Sunday, then got back to it on Monday.
Eze’s frame of mind is very good, which is why he’s starting, and says the situation offers good advice for the kids watching: “don’t believe everything you read in the newspapers”.
I am far form certain anyone who could legitimately be described as a kid even knows what a newspaper is.
Looking at the teams again, I also wonder if Palace might look to put Marc Cucurella under pressure. Munoz and Sarr have built a really good partnership down the Palace right and look to have the edge over the Chelsea left-back both physcially and athletically.
Where is the game? Chelsea will, I imagine, do what any side faced with a back three should try to do: target the space behind the wing-backs and down the sides of the centre-backs. As it happens, Munoz and Mitchell have the legs to get back in, but if they’re overloaded with the full-backs, they won’t find it easy.
I also expect Chelsea to win the midfield numbers game, but Palace’s formation almost invites them to – the question really is how they cope in transition, because Eze, Sarr and Mateta will be primed for exactly that phase and, with Adam Wharton looking to feed them, there’s every chance they get some joy. I’m also certain Jean-Philippe Mateta will look to isolate Acheampong and get into him physically, while also running channels.
So what of Eze? Taking the money out of it for a second, part of me wonders why he’s leaving. If he was going to one of the top clubs to challenge for the big pots, fair enough. But at Spurs, he’ll get one season of Champions League, probably no more, and perhaps a Cup run, whereas if he stays, he could become Palace’s greatest player. If he was three years younger, fair enough, he could go to Tottenham then leave, but at 27, this is it for him, and I’m not sure what he’s getting beats what he’s leaving.
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Otherwise, a general rule of thumb is that to win the title, a team needs three or four players who are among the best around, I don’t see that at Chelsea, who have lots of good players but not many – if any – special ones. Of course, they have several who can grow into that, I just can’t see them having more points than everyone else after 38 games, even without the summer workload.
I’m really looking forward to seeing how Andrey Santos, Jorrel Hato, Tyrique Georrge and Esteêvão develop as the season progresses. But the XI that start today is save the centre-back situation, Maresca’s best. So, is it good enough to win the title?
My sense, pretty emphatically, is no. I’ve not forgotten the state of Maresca’s football through much of last season. In particular, his satisfaction with how they played in losing at Arsenal was troubling – they went a goal down early and barely bothered to try retrieving it, passing backwards and sideways to retain possession that didn’t threaten the opposition goal. So when, at full-time, Maresca suggested all was fine, I checked in with my uncle, a season-ticket holder at Stamford Bridge, who complained that it’s always like that – no risk and no zest.
And while I do, we’ve also go this going on for you:
Anyroad up, I’ll write these teams down, then we’ll wonder what they mean.
Headline Palace news: Eze starts, which suggests the deal with Spurs has stalled. Otherwise, Will Hughes replaces Daichi Kamada, but they are otherwise unchanged from the side which won the Community Shield.
He admits its’s been difficult with the short break but says it’s been a good break. Otherwise, he hopes to have Tosin for the next game, and in the meantime is sure Acheampong can improve. It was a difficult but nice choice to make between Pedro and Delap, but there’ll be plenty of games for both.
Though he’s spent big on strikers and won’t complain if one scores 30 goals, the team are set up to share them around, with all players given licence to get involved in the place.
Let’s start with Chelsea, for whom the headline news is the presence of the 19-year-old Josh Acheampong in the centre of their defence following the serious injury sustained by Levi Colwill and in the absence of Tosin. That’s a huge vote of confidence for him – less so for Wesley Fofana, left on the bench.
Otherwise, it’s João Pedro up front, with Liam Delap on the bench, but here’s Maresca so let’s go to him and come bac kto what he’s done.
Updated
Teams!
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; James, Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo; Neto, Palmer, Gittens; João Pedro. Subs: Jorgensen, Gusto, Fofana, Hato, Essugo, Andrey Santos, Estevão, George, Delap.
Crystal Palace (3-4-3): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Sarr, Mateta, Eze. Subs: Benitez, Clyne, Sosa, Cardines, Devenny, Rak-Sakyi, Lerma, Esse, Edouard.
Preamble
Happy new season one and all – except for our teams today, the last one never really ended, and for the best possible reasons.
Chelsea finished its domestic aspect in form that was just good enough, qualifying for the Champions League and perhaps saving Enzo Maresca’s job in the process. After that, though, things really got going.
It’s easy to say that Chelsea were fitting winners of the first Club World Cup, bringing together, as it did, geopolitics posing as sport, Saudi money, US imperialism, far-right dictatorship, and ersatz, artificial prestige. But it’s unlikely the players are giving this any thought, instead captured by their growing sense of mission: an entity that once looked atomised, incoherent and disconnected has since fused into a definitive whole, the team secure in the knowledge that they can out-think, out-play and out-fight the best team in the world in a big final. They will feel invincible.
But so too will Palace, their players and manager already legends and the two greatest games in their history the last two they’ve played. It is not just that they beat Manchester City to win the FA Cup, their first trophy, then Liverpool to win the Community Shield, their second, though they did. It is also that they did both in dramatic, affirming, inspirational manner, delivering a buzz to sustain all involved for the rest of their lives. They will feel invincible.
Life being life, though, with triumphs comes pitfalls. By the time Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain in mid-July, their rivals had had a month or so off and already started pre-season, an unhealthy and borderline barbaric state of affairs that will surely exact a toll at some point. The mental and physical stress of elite-level sport is real, not something that can or should be overridden with money, glory and team-spirt. There is a debt to pleasure and in their case it will be fatigue – the only question is when it hits and how they manage it.
Palace, meanwhile, are victims of their own success. Eberechi Eze, their best player, looks likely to leave for Spurs, while Marc Guêhi, their captain, could well be off to Liverpool. With under two weeks left in the transfer window, simply replacing them will be difficult, never mind replacing them with players of equivalent ability, and even if that happens, those players will need nurturing and moulding – or, in other words, rather than build on their achievements to get better, it is more likely they are poised get worse. There is a debt to pleasure and in their case it will be pillaging – the only question is how they mitigate it.
All of which makes this an absolute banger of an opening-weekend fixture. Bring it on!
Kick-off: 2pm BST
