Jacob Steinberg was at the Bridge. Here’s his report. Thanks for reading this MBM!
Roy Hodgson’s take. “It’s the difference goals make ... all four were very clear individual errors ... we didn’t have a clear attacking threat at any stage ... on the ball we showed no composure or confidence ... it’s a harsh scoreline and one we can only blame ourselves for ... one or two players were not anywhere near their level.”
Frank Lampard’s verdict. “We got our reward ... not too many put four past Palace ... we were comfortable in the first half but needed a bit more ... we had to mix it up ... change it up, more speed ... Chilwell was fantastic today ... I admired his ability to get up the pitch.” Also, the Jorginho-Abraham penalty spat has “been dealt with” and there are “no problems ... I appreciate his eagerness ... but those are the rules, you don’t jump ahead in the list.”
FULL TIME: Chelsea 4-0 Crystal Palace
Chelsea weren’t perfect, but when you can say that after a four-goal victory, you’re not in a bad place. A welcome three points after a fine second-half performance ... though Palace may consider themselves the architects of their own downfall. Chelsea go fourth, while Palace slip to eighth.
90 min +1: The first of three extra minutes. Werner - on the margins today - tries to juggle his way into the box down the right but miscontrols. No matter, the ball deflects out for a corner. Palace deal with the set piece easily enough.
90 min: Ben Chilwell does indeed get the man-of-the-match award. A goal and an assist on his league debut. Not bad, huh.
89 min: Like 87 min, but even more so.
87 min: Both teams just seeing out the remaining time now.
85 min: Ayew wins a corner for Palace down the right. He’s then bundled off the ball by Havertz and wants a penalty, but it’s a fair challenge. Chelsea break and nearly fashion a fifth, Werner, Havertz and Pulisic combining well at speed down the left. But the flag goes up for offside when Pulisic takes a shot from a tight angle.
84 min: Chelsea replace Hudson-Odoi and Kante with Kovacic and Pulisic.
GOAL! Chelsea 4-0 Crystal Palace (Jorginho 82 pen)
Abraham wants to take the penalty and grabs the ball. Azpilicueta takes it off him and gives it to Jorginho, who replicates his earlier spot kick. Chelsea celebrate, with the exception of Abraham, who stomps off with a face on.
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Penalty to Chelsea!
81 min: Guaita claims Chilwell’s corner. But Chelsea quickly come back at Palace. Havertz steps into the box, dinks the ball past Sakho’s dangling leg, and goes over. A clear pen.
80 min: Azpilicueta crosses low from the right. Milivojevic slides in to intercept, and nearly sends the ball flying into the bottom right. Inches wide.
GOAL! Chelsea 3-0 Crystal Palace (Jorginho 78 pen)
After a completely unnecessary VAR check, Jorginho hops, skips and dispatches a fine penalty into the bottom right, sending Guaita the wrong way.
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Penalty to Chelsea!
76 min: Chelsea are now even closer to that precious game-killing third goal. Mitchell hangs out a leg as Abraham dribbles into the box down the inside-right channel. Abraham goes over, and the ref points to the spot.
75 min: Hudson-Odoi tears past Mitchell down the right and whips a cross towards Abraham at the near post. Abraham power-steers a header inches wide of the bottom right. So close to a third that would totally put this game to bed.
73 min: Riedewald replaces McArthur. Palace’s midfield has been denuded all right.
71 min: Townsend hits the free kick too long. Palace recycle the ball down the left. McArthur chips it across the face of goal from a tight position. Chilwell, who already has had some league debut, chests calmly into the arms of Mendy. The man-of-the-match award looks a shoo-in for Chelsea’s new left-back.
70 min: Abraham clips Townsend as the Palace winger makes his way down the right. A chance for Palace to load the box.
69 min: Kante is booked for a tug on Ayew’s shirt.
68 min: Palace respond by replacing McCarthy with Milivojevic.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Crystal Palace (Zouma 66)
Chilwell now has an assist to go with his goal! His initial corner is cleared, but Hudson-Odoi returns it to him. He crosses from the left. Zouma rises highest to plant a header into the top right! That’s better!
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65 min: Chilwell crosses from the left. He’s got Abraham free in the middle, but takes too long and settles for a corner instead. And from that ...
64 min: Azpilicueta takes a yellow card as he hauls down a counter-attacking Eze. He makes no complaint.
63 min: Another good moment for Palace as Chilwell is stranded upfield, allowing Townsend to drive down the right. He lays off to Ayew, whose cross-cum-shot stings Mendy’s hands. Chelsea clear.
62 min: This is better from Palace, as they apply a gentle press, allowing Zaha to spin down the inside-left channel and take a shot that’s deflected wide left. The resulting corner is a waste of time, but that should give the visitors succour as they look for an equaliser.
61 min: Chelsea stroke it around the back. Palace seem almost totally unwilling to step out and compete. The hosts have been put under very little pressure at the back.
59 min: ... Chelsea should really score. Chilwell curls the corner onto Zouma’s head. He’s six yards out, but sends his header wide left. Not exactly a banner couple of minutes for the Chelsea defender.
58 min: Abraham works his way down the right and wins a corner off Mitchell. And from the set piece ...
57 min: Zouma gives away the ball carelessly in the midfield. He’s very fortunate that Townsend plays a weird pass down the right to nobody in particular, spoiling the chance of a Palace counter.
56 min: Chelsea ping it around, to no great effect.
54 min: McArthur tries to curl a shot into the top right from 25 yards. He finds the top right of the Shed End. That was beyond appalling, and he has the good grace to hang his head accordingly.
53 min: Palace need to raise their own game now, and Ward hassles Chilwell into the concession of a corner down the right. Chelsea deal with the set piece easily enough. Mendy still hasn’t had to make a significant contribution on his league debut.
52 min: As a result of the goal, Chelsea immediately appear freer, their passing a little bit crisper and quicker.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Crystal Palace (Chilwell 50)
Palace gift Chelsea the opener! Hudson-Odoi tries to break down the right but loses control. Sakho should clear, but stubs his toe, allowing Hudson-Odoi to have another go. The ball’s worked across the front of the Palace goal, via Abraham to Chilwell, haring in from the left. Chilwell batters home from close range. What a blunder by Sakho, undoing all of his team’s good defensive work up until this point.
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49 min: Other than that, Chelsea haven’t really flown out of the blocks in this second half. Palace look comfortable. Chelsea need to pick up the tempo.
47 min: Havertz swivels into space down the middle, and briefly has a chance to shoot, but hesitates and is closed down by McCarthy. An excellent block tackle.
46 min: No changes, incidentally.
Chelsea get the second half underway ... having been kept waiting by tardy Palace again. They’re a good two minutes late, pushing Chelsea’s buttons. Plenty of Chelsea frowns, both on pitch and off. We could witness Frank losing his supercool yet.
Half-time entertainment. This gallery is truly delightful. Lose yourself in it for the next 15 minutes. Includes a 1959 picture of Ally MacLeod, waist deep in all sorts of trouble, not for the last time in his career.
HALF TIME: Chelsea 0-0 Crystal Palace
Time for that rethink. Take stock. Draw up a few new plans. Here’s Ian Copestake: “The game seems well-balanced and just waiting for the last seconds when VAR decides who wins.”
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45 min: There will be one added minute. Half time can’t come quickly enough. Both teams need a rethink in the final third.
44 min: Free kick for Chelsea out on the right. Hudson-Odoi wastes it by hoicking it out of play on the left. That kind of sums this half up.
42 min: But Palace come straight back at Chelsea, Townsend getting the better of Werner down the right and crossing long for Sakho, who heads lamely wide left. A good chance gone.
41 min: Townsend flicks the ball past Chilwell, who sticks out an arm to stop the Palace man skittering off down the right. The resulting free kick is cleared easily enough by Zouma.
39 min: Jorginho chips a lovely long pass down the inside-right channel for Abraham. The striker sticks out a telescopic leg, hoping to bring it down, kill it, and shoot. But he can’t quite cushion the ball and lets it clank out for a goal kick. Nearly a delightful goal. What a pass by Jorginho.
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37 min: Abraham wins a corner for Chelsea down the right. Chilwell swings it into the mixer. Guaita flaps. The ball drops to Hudson-Odoi, who again fails to get a shot away quickly. McCarthy closes him down. Chelsea have had some half-chances, but are yet to seriously warm Guaita’s hands.
35 min: Chilwell tees up Hudson-Odoi on the edge of the box. There’s a chance to shoot, but it’s taken far too late, by which time Palace have shut the door. Hesitation once again costs the hosts.
33 min: Abraham and Werner both chase after a ball down the inside-right channel, and get in each other’s way. Abraham was probably within his rights to take control and have a whack, but he seemed happy to defer to Werner, that indecision costing Chelsea and allowing Palace to clear.
32 min: Havertz conducts the orchestra again, sliding a pass down the left for Hudson-Odoi, who tries to release Chilwell with an instant ball down the channel. He gets too much juice on it, and Chilwell can’t keep it in play. But that’s better from Chelsea, who had gone a little quiet back there.
30 min: It’s been a good few minute for Palace, who have slowly but surely worked their way into the game. They even enjoy a bit of prolonged possession, stroking it around the back. Roy Hodgson will be perfectly content with this.
28 min: Townsend’s first corner leads to a second, and that one’s swung to the far post. Silva clears as Mendy, surrounded in a crowded box, flaps a little.
27 min: Eze has been Palace’s liveliest player. He drifts in from the left again, and sends the ball wide right for Ward, whose low cross finds Zaha at the near post. But Zaha is under pressure and can’t control. Palace come again, Zaha taking a pop from distance and earning his team’s first corner, Kante deflecting out to the right.
25 min: Azpilicueta is in the thick of it again, this time winning a corner with a raking crossfield pass that causes Palace some panic. Chilwell takes from the left. Abraham rises, but can’t add to his three-in-four tally against Palace, slapping a poor header well wide right from eight yards. That was a fine chance wasted.
24 min: Azpilicueta nibbles at Eze out on the left and it’s a chance for Palace to load the box. Eze takes the free kick himself, looking for Kouyate at the far post, but it’s overcooked and sails out harmlessly for a goal kick. Mendy has had absolutely nothing to do on his Premier League debut so far.
22 min: Palace take their time over a couple of throws, just to nix Chelsea’s increasing momentum. Classic game management.
20 min: A free kick for Chelsea out on the left. Chilwell floats it towards the far post. Silva nods it down for Jorginho, who swivels and volleys over from 12 yards. Chelsea are beginning to ask some serious questions now.
19 min: Havertz breezes down the middle with grace and purpose. He slips wide left for Werner, who takes a stride into the box and curls a shot towards the bottom left. It’s an easy gather for Guaita. But what a run by Havertz, who could become a transformational signing for Chelsea.
16 min: Jorginho makes a huge nuisance of himself on the edge of the Palace box, nearly bursting through a melee in the D. But Palace blast clear, eventually, and nearly spring a counter. But Eze and Zaha can’t get it together, and the hosts breathe again. Both sides living on the edge there.
14 min: Jorginho and Werner interchange down the inside-left channel, only for the cute, crisp move to break down. No matter, Chelsea come again, Hudson-Odoi barging down the right and slipping inside for Jorginho, who shuttles further infield for Kante. He blooters over the bar from the edge of the box, a wild effort.
12 min: Eze drifts in from the left and slips a diagonal ball towards the overlapping Ward on the opposite flank. Zaha gets in the way and confuses the issue, a two-on-one against Zouma coming to nothing as the ball rolls harmlessly away. An early sign that the Chelsea defence is still very much an organisational work in progress.
10 min: Chelsea continue to ping it about. Palace continue to hassle, harry and harass. Both managers will be happy enough at the minute.
8 min: Jorginho chips inside from a deep position on the right. Abraham eyebrows a header weakly wide left of goal. Chelsea are dominating the early possession, pretty much as expected. Holding onto the ball isn’t really Palace’s MO.
6 min: Werner is down, having copped a whack on the jaw from the elbow of Ward. All accidental, and the Chelsea striker is soon up and about again, albeit with a Paddington-style hard stare, and maybe revenge on his mind.
5 min: Azpilicueta crosses viciously from the right. Havertz hopes to meet it at the near post, but Kouyate races in to head behind for another corner, just in time. Chilwell swings the corner into the mixer, but there’s been too much pushing and shoving in the box and the referee blows for a pressure-releasing free kick to Palace.
3 min: Chelsea go straight down the other end, Kante and Hudson-Odoi combining down the right to earn the first corner of the game. Ayew clears the set piece with a booming header. A nice, fresh, open start.
2 min: Eze wanders down the left and drops a shoulder with a view to skating past Azpilicueta, but the Chelsea captain isn’t buying it.
And we’re off! Palace get the ball rolling ... but only after a minute of silence in memory of Matiu Ratana, the police officer tragically killed recently in Croydon. The players also take a knee. No room for racism.
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The teams are out! Chelsea, who were dressed as Crystal Palace last weekend at the Hawthorns, revert to their normal blue garb. Palace arrive - after keeping the increasingly tetchy hosts waiting for a good couple of minutes - in second-choice white. Hey, it’s a long way from the temporary away changing room in the car park. Anyway, we’ll be off in a minute.
Roy discusses his team’s new attacking philosophy. “We’ve always created chances, we just haven’t always scored them. We’re trying to play with two front players instead of one and two wide, and sometimes that’s helpful in terms of attacking play. You’re denuding the midfield to some extent but giving yourself more chance up front. But in terms of principle, nothing has changed. Often people’s impression of your attacking play depends very much on how many goal chances you create and how many goals you score.” I’ll go out on a limb here and suggest that’s the first time the verb “denude” has been used in a pre-match interview on BT Sport. Will Self’s appearances on Newsnight have nothing on this.
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Frank Lampard gives you a cast-iron no-touchline-brouhaha guarantee ... or your money back. “I’ll always stand my ground and be respectful,” he tells BT Sport. “I’m not just defending myself, I’m defending Chelsea, we’re working hard to do things right and there’s a lot said sometimes on the line. Roy’s different to all of them, the biggest gentlemen in the game. I’ll be very surprised if me and Roy are head to head come Saturday morning!” So let the love-in commence.
Could this be Callum Hudson-Odoi’s final appearance in a Chelsea shirt for a while? The young midfielder may be Bundesliga bound. Here’s Jacob Steinberg with all the latest from behind the curtain at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea make four changes to the XI picked for the League Cup defeat at Tottenham. Out go Fikayo Tomori, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount and Olivier Giroud; in come Thiago Silva, N’Golo Kante, Kai Havertz and serial Palace-botherer Tammy Abraham, who has three goals in his last four against the Eagles.
Palace are unchanged. Roy Hodgson names the same team that lost 2-1 at home to Everton.
warms up before the match. Photograph: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC/Getty Images
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The teams
Chelsea: Mendy, Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Zouma, Chilwell, Kante, Jorginho, Hudson-Odoi, Havertz, Werner, Abraham.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Pulisic, Tomori, Kovacic, Giroud, Mount, James.
Crystal Palace: Guaita, Ward, Kouyate, Sakho, Mitchell, Townsend, McCarthy, McArthur, Eze, Ayew, Zaha.
Subs: Milivojevic, Dann, Meyer, Hennessey, Benteke, Kelly, Riedewald.
Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland).
Preamble
Crystal Palace don’t have a great recent record against Chelsea: they’ve lost the last five meetings. In that sense, this looks every inch the home banker. But things are never quite that simple, are they.
For a start, Chelsea have yet to convince this season. Fair enough with so many new faces to slot in, and a couple of big names missing injured to boot, but whatever the justification, the performances are what they are. Curate’s eggs the lot of them: an uneven win at Brighton, a comprehensive home defeat to Liverpool that nevertheless hinged on a scuffed one-on-one and a missed penalty; that topsy-turvy 3-3 thriller at West Brom. Good luck correctly predicting which Chelsea will turn up today. All available evidence suggests the smart money goes on both.
The same could be said for Palace, who have been OK at home against Southampton and Everton, with varying results, but spectacularly good at Old Trafford, where their 3-1 win flattered Manchester United. Making a confident call on this lunchtime’s performance looks another fool’s errand. Especially as their star man Wilfred Zaha has scored in a win at Stamford Bridge before, three years ago, a little bit of positive history that will give Palace succour in the face of that five-match losing sequence.
This is set up rather nicely, then, with a big Chelsea win and a Palace shock both realistic outcomes, as well as everything in between. Fun times lie ahead, and we haven’t even considered Frank Lampard’s touchline hairtrigger going off yet again. Bielsa, Klopp, Mourinho ... he won’t have a go at good old Roy, will he? Surely not. But the match ... it’s on!
Kick off: 12.30pm BST.
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