That’s all from me as Chelsea took another small step towards regaining the Premier League crown. I leave you with Dominic Fifield’s report from Selhurst Park. Bye!
A quick plug before we wrap up for our Christmas charity appeal:
They rumble on.
That's a new club record of 11 consecutive league wins in a single season, and matches our all-time best record run. Amazing. #CRYCHE
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 17, 2016
“‘David Luiz deals commandingly...’,” emails Jim Morrish. “Four words I never thought I’d see in such a sequence.”
Full-time: Palace 0-1 Chelsea
How on earth do you beat Chelsea? Even Pards doesn’t have the answer. That’s 11 wins in a row for the Blues who go nine points clear at the top of the Premier League. “Antonio! Antonio!” rings out from one corner of Selhurst Park.
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90+3 min Conte is spitting feathers on the touchline as he directs his players manically in an effort to see out these final moments. But it’s Chelsea who have the ball and that should be that.
90+2 min My book of cliches confirms the free-kick is still rising.
90+1 min Dann finds Benteke who brings Townsend into the game. He delivers a cross from the right which Fàbregas heads clear, but he then trips Scott Dann outside the area and Palace will have a free-kick. Andros Townsend fancies it...
89 min Palace thwack a couple more balls long and David Luiz deals commandingly with both.
88 min Costa is down on the ground and he’s all worn out. Michy Batshuayi replaces the potential match-winner for the final few minutes.
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86 min Palace are launching ball forwards and that may be the pattern for the final five minutes. Chelsea probably should be home and dry by now, but they’re not and they will have to dig in to see it out. On the sideline, Pardew is told off by referee Jon Moss for hollering outside his technical area.
85 min Zeki Fryers replaces Martin Kelly at full-back for Palace.
83 min This is a gorgeous effort by Alonso from a free-kick, 25 yards out. He bends it beyond the diving Hennessey and has Antonio Conte celebrating on the touchline but it’s premature as the ball crashes against the underside of the crossbar. Cahill is under too much pressure to turn in the rebound.
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82 min Ivanovic has replaced Victor Moses.
80 min Costa has been quiet in the second half, but then he was pretty quiet in the first and still had a decisive impact. He almost gets on to a through pass in the box but Delaney is quick to get across and station himself between striker and ball.
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78 min Fàbregas plays the pass of the match, slamming a half-volley 50 yards to Hazard breaking beyond the Palace defence. He takes a bit of time to control the ball and eventually Palace scramble the ball clear for a corner which is a shame because it means that pass probably won’t make the highlights reel.
76 min Finally Andros Townsend does come on, and it is indeed Puncheon who makes way.
74 min Alonso is next to test the Palace and Wales keeper, flashing a high one from the left of the box which Hennessey parries well clear. Moments later Moses is slipped through on goal but he trips over the ball and on to his face. It’s refreshing to see he still has that in his locker.
72 min Kante goes even closer! Moses tees up the midfielder to skim a low shot towards the far corner, and only an excellent one-handed stop by Hennessey prevents the second goal. Chelsea are looking dangerous on the break as Palace search for the equaliser.
70 min A chance for Fàbregas arriving in the box. The midfielder sweeps a left-footed shot low but it’s straight at Hennessey who gathers at the second attempt. At the other end, Benteke receives a high cross on his chest expertly, holding off Cahill, and gets a shot away on the spin but it’s a little tame and Courtois saves comfortably.
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68 min Just as Townsend has finished straightening his shin-pads, Puncheon leaps to his feet and gives the bench the thumbs up. Townsend sits down.
67 min Jason Puncheon is down on the ground with a knock. Andros Townsend is dusting himself down on the bench.
66 min Alonso catches a dropping ball sweetly on the volley at a tight angle, but it slides just the wrong side of the post from a Chelsea point of view and ripples the side netting.
64 min Fàbregas almost immediately creates a goal, getting to the byline and slinging a cross at Alonso who can’t get his feet together to get a shot on target.
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62 min Cesc Fàbregas steps out from the mist to the touchline. He replaces Willian.
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60 min Cabaye’s free-kick is better this time and has to be headed behind for a corner. It’s fair to say Palace are dominating this half but they haven’t been able to carve out a clear sight of goal so far.
59 min A succession of throw-ins in the corner rather suck the joy out of the game, like one of those tap-tap-tap scenarios in snooker which evenutally leads to a re-rack. The re-rack in this instance isn’t needed as Moses smashes the ball 60 yards downfield. A moment later the wingback slides through the back of Puncheon and earns himself a fifth yellow card of the season, and like Costa he will now miss the Boxing Day game with Bournemouth.
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56 min Despite the ropey set pieces this is a good spell of pressure for Palace. Chelsea are having to dig in.
54 min Not a great delivery by Cabaye.
53 min Puncheon wins a free-kick from Kante in the corner when he was going nowhere, and this is a useful position for Cabaye to deliver an inswinger. Benteke, Dann and Delaney lurk near the penalty spot but Azpilicueta gets in front of them all to head the cross behind. Corner.
51 min Palace come forward but Ward’s cross is too close to Courtois for anyone in red and blue to attack.
49 min Kante plays a one-two with Azpilicueta 30 yards out before striking a vicious shot at goal which Hennessey is relieved to parry clear.
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47 min Cahill flicks a header into Cabaye’s path arriving outside the Chelsea box, who lashes a first-time shot towards the near post drawing a good stop from Courtois. At the other end, Moses whips in a cross and his opposite wingback Alonso almost gathers it at the far post but it’s a touch long.
Second half!
Jon Moss gives his whistle a peep and Palace immediately thump the ball long, which quickly ends in a Chelsea goal-kick.
The players are back out. Let’s get this thing on again.
On replay, while Diego Costa makes a fine leap and header, might Scott Dann have done a little (lot) more to put him off? The centre-back had time to judge the flight of the cross but never got off the ground. Hmm.
What a jump from Diego... #CRYCHE pic.twitter.com/eGBjMm12Eb
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 17, 2016
Half-time entertainment
Half-time: Palace 0-1 Chelsea
Crystal Palace dealt with Chelsea pretty well on the whole, but one unplayable moment of attacking prowess by Diego Costa is the difference.
45 min That was Costa’s 13th league goal of the season and what a critical one in a game which seemed to be drifting aimlessly towards half-time.
GOAL! Palace 0-1 Chelsea (Costa, 43 min)
Azpilicueta suddenly decides to make a dash up from the back. He collects the ball in space on the right before floating a high cross to the back post, where Diego Costa rises above the Palace defence, arching his neck, and powers a header into the far corner past Hennessey. Brilliantly taken.
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“Re Costa reverting to type: you’re wrong in this instance,” corrects Frank Zelko on email. “MacArthur clearly kicks him in the face, as evidenced by the blood on Costa’s face. While not ‘deliberate’ it was still quite nasty, one of those where the player chooses to bring his foot down in an area where he knows it might well do some damage while knowing he can plausibly deny it.” There is indeed a line of blood running down Costa’s face, so I hold my hands up.
39 min Cabaye dummies and Puncheon strikes the free-kick but it floats over the bar. A little wasteful, that. Thibaut Courtois has not had to make a save so far.
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38 min Zaha gets motoring. He sears towards the Chelsea box, throws a step-over and draws a soft-ish foul from the retreating Alonso. This position, 20 yards out, is dangerous and Cabaye is eyeing it.
“That’s a great spot-the-ball picture at the top of your page,” emails Julian Le Saux. “I’m saying that Hazard and Zaha are looking up on high like that because the Archangel Gabriel has suddenly appeared to announce the imminent birth of the Baby Jesus, and the ball is actually at their feet.”
36 min Suddenly Chelsea counterattack and when Alonso skips through Ward’s meek tackle he looks to be clean though on goal. But he still has 30 yards to go and slows down looking for a pass, allowing Palace defenders to charge back and smother the move.
34 min A lull. Sky Sports take the chance to advertise ‘Mersey Monday’. Yuck.
31 min Chelsea have had a slight edge in the opening half an hour but there isn’t much in it and Alan Pardew must be chuffed with Palace’s performance so far.
29 min Some thunder tackles get the crowd up. First Cabaye slams fairly into Costa, then Alonso unfairly clatters Zaha. Free-kick to Palace near the halfway line which is swung towards Benteke’s chest, but he can’t bring a team-mate into play.
27 min Palace are struggling to keep hold of the ball, particularly at the back where Joel Ward, playing left-back, doesn’t look too comfortable on his left foot. He concedes a throw-in and Chelsea come again.
25 min After a bit of an argument in the wall between Palace team-mates McArthur and Zaha, Willian eventually swings in the free-kick which Ledley heads clear.
23 min Palace are in feisty mode and Diego Costa cannot help but revert to type. McArthur pulls him back and the Chelsea striker hits the deck clutching his face a little dramatically. Free-kick, and a moment later Chelsea have another on the left corner of the Palace box.
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Diego Costa gets booked!
After weeks balancing on four yellow cards, Costa picks up his fifth of the season clumsily booting a Palace player from behind. He will be suspended for one game.
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19 min The best chance of the game falls to Jason Puncheon. Hazard and Alonso get attracted inside which allows Martin Kelly to sneak up the right touchline unmarked. Cabaye finds him and Kelly drills a low cross to the penalty spot, where Puncheon arrives to scuff a first-time shot wide. Difficult technique, admittedly, but he will feel he should have hit the target.
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17 min David Luiz tries a low skimmer but Joel Ward is on hand in the box to poke the ball wide. Corner, which Chelsea play short to Kante, who bends a decent cross just beyond David Luiz’s vast barnet.
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16 min Brilliant football by Eden Hazard, who drops deep to collect the ball before wriggling out of a tight space via a one-two with Costa. He gets to the edge of the box and tries his luck with another one-two, this time through Willian, but Hazard gets a shoulder-biff and Chelsea will instead have a free-kick 20 yards from goal.
14 min Kante plays his third or fourth switch pass to Marcos Alonso sneaking up the left flank. Kelly cut out the first one of the game but hasn’t been able to anticipate the rest and Chelsea are starting to look threatening again.
12 min It is really, really, really misty.
10 min Just as Chelsea were beginning to settle, Palace have their best moment. Ledley finds a bit of space on the left of the box, looks up, and sees Benteke unmarked at the back post. It’s probably a goal if Ledley can find the striker, but his cross is under-hit and Cahill can head the danger away.
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8 min Costa gets his first few touches, taking it to the byline before seeing his low cross blocked by Kelly. A moment later Hazard fires into action, zipping towards the box and slamming a pass into Costa looking for a return, but Costa’s layoff is blocked and Palace clear their lines.
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6 min Palace look up for this. First Kelly and then Zaha wrestle feistily with Hazard in the corner and they eventually win a foul from the Chelsea man, to the home crowd’s delight.
4 min Palace go direct to Benteke’s chest which brings the whole team up into Chelsea’s half. Puncheon dinks a pass on to Zaha with his back to goal on the edge of the box, but Cahill is on hand to bump the winger off the ball.
2 min Kante tries a long switch to Marcos Alonso but Kelly dashes out and leaps in front to head the ball out of play. Kelly looked like a man prepped for that pass today.
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Kick-off!
A peep of the whistle and we are under way in seriously misty conditions.
The players are in the tunnel. A few hollers of “Come on, boys!” and they march out into a boisterous Selhurst Park atmosphere. Bold prediction: a score draw.
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Alan Pardew speaks! It is largely a spectacular monologue on tactics, only some of which I’ve managed to capture here. First, he is asked how to beat Chelsea: “Make them complacent hopefully! They’re a good side, I think it’s their strongest side today. We have to be brave in our mentality and in our play. The problem is on transition really, you can block up the holes between defence and midfield but when you lose possession you are going to be facing Willian and Hazard running at you and it’s going to be difficult.
“It’s a good tactical system they’ve got but we’ve got our own chance to unsettle their back three. Zaha’s in the form of his life. He needs to be brave and not track their wingback all the way down the pitch. They are set like an Italian team at times. First and foremost they have great players in a great team. We need to make sure, in front of our home fans, we want to say we had a real go and almost got something, or did get something.”
Yes, he did say ‘they are set like an Italian team at times’. Magical.
For some pre-match reading, here is more from Antonio Conte yesterday on Oscar’s imminent move to China: “I am sorry to see him leave because a really good player, and a really good man, is leaving the club. I must be honest about this. But also I understand his decision.” Full story:
Antonio Conte speaks! On having to leave out Fábregas and Pedro: “I want the competition in our squad, Pedro is having a fantastic season. Today I give him the rest but maybe not the whole game. Cesc is playing very well, I’m pleased with the good form of my players but when you have to play three games in seven days it is very, very difficult. It’s hard to keep going this way, it’s logical [that a winning run gets harder] because the opponent wants to stop you. We are working very well to try to keep going and win but it’s not easy.”
LA Galaxy starlet Ashley Cole is in the Sky Sports studio. Cole says David Luiz was an important player in his time at Chelsea but that perhaps playing in a three this season alongside Azpilicueta and Cahill has “chilled him out”. Chris Coleman also dives in to sing the Brazilian’s praises while Jamie Redknapp describes him as a “serious player”. Fate, you have been tempted.
For some recommended pre-match listening, look no further than the latest edition of Football Weekly Extra:
Is mist a leveller?
Selhurst Park prepares for #CRYCHE pic.twitter.com/2DD6wyY8T7
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 17, 2016
So Jason Puncheon is back for Palace after a one-game suspension while Mathieu Flamini misses out with groin knack. For Chelsea, the 27th coming of Cesc Fàbregas has been put on ice as Nemanja Matic regains his place in the starting XI. The Blues, not unlike Leicester last season, have been able to field a very settled side week after week with minimal changes, and that can’t hurt.
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The teams!
Crystal Palace: Hennessey; Kelly, Dann, Delaney, Ward; McArthur, Ledley; Zaha, Cabaye, Puncheon; Benteke
Subs: Speroni, Fryers, Mutch, Lee, Townsend, Husin, Campbell
Chelsea: Courtois; Azpilcueta, David Luiz, Cahill; Moses, Kanté, Matic, Alonso; Willian, Costa, Hazard
Subs: Begovic, Ivanovic, Zouma, Chalobah, Fàbregas, Pedro, Batshuayi
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Preamble
Chelsea are top of the league, playing to equal a club-record 11 successive wins, Diego Costa hasn’t been booked in weeks, Victor Moses looks alarmingly good, and they’ve just convinced Shanghai SIPG (yes, them) that Oscar, signed for £27m, is now worth £60m. It’s fair to say that things are looking up at Stamford Bridge.
Not so much at Selhurst Park, where one win in Crystal Palace’s past 10 league games has left Steve Parish pulling out clumps of wonderfully coiffed hair while Alan Pardew patronises the club’s owners and flashes ‘A-OK’ signs in his direction. This season was supposed to be Palace rebooted with Christian Benteke spearheading a different kind of attack full of pace and power and goals – and it often has been. The problem is the woeful defending that has shipped three to Burnley, Hull and Leicester, four to Liverpool and five at Swansea.
It is a pretty bleak picture for Palace but perhaps all is not lost today. The atmosphere will likely be raucous at Selhurst for the visit of the league leaders across London, and Everton showed in their surprise midweek win over Arsenal that if you fill an old compact stadium with passionate football fans, they can still turn a match. Palace are due a win, Chelsea are due a loss, so why not?
The truth is that we all want it too, if only to see the smuggery radiating from the post-match interview room after Pardew achieves what 10 previous managers have failed to – stopping Antonio Conte’s brilliant Chelsea team.
Kick-off: 12.30pm GMT
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