Crystal Palace hold Chelsea at freezing Selhurst Park
Crystal Palace 1 - 1 Chelsea
Crystal Palace snatched a late point with a 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Selhurst Park, extending the Blues’ winless run into 2025.
Jean-Philippe Mateta struck in the 82nd minute to cancel out Cole Palmer’s early opener, just as Chelsea seemed on course for a much-needed victory. The result deepened Chelsea’s festive woes, stretching their winless streak to four games and further derailing their fading title ambitions.
A closer look at what happemed
Palmer’s goal, slotted past Dean Henderson in the 14th minute, was a moment of class. The finish was clinical, but it was Jadon Sancho’s assist that truly stole the spotlight. Sancho skilfully outmanoeuvred Chris Richards before delivering a precise cross into the box for Palmer to convert.
Chelsea dominated the early stages, with their wingers enjoying plenty of joy against Tyrick Mitchell and Daniel Muñoz. The visitors almost struck within three minutes when Pedro Neto’s inviting cross found Sancho, who volleyed over the bar.
After conceding, Palace slowly grew into the game, fuelled by the home crowd. Mateta came close to levelling before the break, glancing a shot wide following a well-timed setup from Muñoz.
Premier League: 2024/2025 season
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Yet the first half largely belonged to Enzo Maresca’s side. Nicolas Jackson missed a couple of decent chances, and 18-year-old Josh Acheampong, making his Premier League debut, sent a header narrowly wide.
Palace came out stronger in the second half and nearly equalised moments after the restart, with Eberechi Eze spurning a golden opportunity. The hosts continued to press, forcing Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez into a fine save to deny Richards, before Mateta’s late strike ensured the points were shared.
Lack of belief from Chelsea's players
Chelsea are still struggling to move on from a title challenge that never materialised. Sloppy mistakes continue to plague them at both ends of the pitch. As Enzo Maresca left Selhurst Park following a spirited 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace, he could take little comfort from the performance, which only reinforced his belief that his team are not yet ready to contend for major honours.
For Maresca, the concern must be that his cautious messaging is becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. The idea that a young, inexperienced squad may have subconsciously eased off after hearing their manager repeatedly downplay their chances is gaining traction. Is it a lack of belief? The reality is Chelsea are still a raw, developing side, and the glaring takeaway from this latest setback is their persistent lack of ruthlessness.
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It was a frustrating afternoon. Palace were there for the taking in the first half. Chelsea went ahead thanks to Cole Palmer’s 13th goal of the season, beautifully set up by some sharp play from Jadon Sancho. Nicolas Jackson, however, squandered chances that could have seen him bag a hat-trick before the break.
But Palace came out stronger in the second half, upping their intensity and moving the ball with more purpose. Eberechi Eze and Maxence Lacroix both had opportunities, and it wasn’t a shock when Jean-Philippe Mateta grabbed an equaliser with just eight minutes remaining.
With Chelsea now winless in four games and their grip on fourth place under threat from Newcastle and Manchester City, they have only themselves to blame for this latest slip.
