Chelsea vs Crystal Palace
Premier League 2018/19
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Date: Sunday, October 4
Kick-off: 4pm BST
Chelsea return to Premier League action on Sunday with a London derby as Crystal Palace head to Stamford Bridge.
Maurizio Sarri's Blues headed into gameweek 11 of the season two points off Manchester City in top spot, with Ross Barkley hitting top form in a 4-0 cruise at Burnley.
A weakened Chelsea side just about saw off Frank Lampard's Derby County in a pulsating midweek EFL Cup tie, and Roy Hodgson's Palace will be keen to put Sarri's defence to the test after securing a morale-boosting 2-2 draw against Arsenal last weekend.
Scroll down for Standard Sport’s comprehensive preview...
Team news
Eden Hazard missed Chelsea's EFL CUp win over Derby, but assistant coach Gianfranco Zola confirmed the Belgium star's back is "much better" and is likely to feature.
Palace are confident Wilfried Zaha will shake off a shoulder injury in time to face Chelsea.
Zaha suffered the problem during Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal and was not involved on Wednesday's EFL Cup loss at Middlesbrough, but Hodgson has eased fears over Zaha's fitness.
TV, online and live stream coverage
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports' Premier League and Main Event channels, and is available via Now TV with a day pass on offer for £7.99. Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via SkyGo and the SkyGo app.
You can follow all the action with Standard Sport's LIVE blog.
Tickets
For Chelsea ticket info, click here for the club's official website.
Prediction
Betting tips via Betfair | UK users only | Subject to change
- Chelsea to win 3-0: 7/1
- Ross Barkley to score: 9/5
- Wilfried Zaha to score: 4/1
- 2-2 draw: 17/1
Click here to find the latest match odds and place a bet.
Head to head
The teams have met 18 times in the Premier League, with 12 wins for Chelsea, four for Palace, and two draws.
The last time the two sides met at the Bridge, Chelsea won 2-1 - but Palace also won by the same scoreline at Selhurst Park as well.
