Crystal Palace vs Chelsea FC, English Premier League 2024-25, Today Match Prediction

Crystal Palace vs Chelsea FC Match Prediction & Analysis

Crystal Palace, despite a recent upturn in form, are still embroiled in the mid-table chaos of the Premier League. A single defeat in eight matches hasn't translated to a high league position, highlighting the fierce competition. While manager Glasner will likely accept their current position, the Eagles aim to climb further, especially with key players like Eze rediscovering their scoring touch.

Chelsea, on the other hand, are experiencing a dip in form after a promising start. Consecutive defeats to Fulham and Ipswich Town have derailed their momentum, and they must quickly regain their footing to keep pace with league leaders Liverpool. Maresca, despite acknowledging his team's inexperience, will be eager for a positive result against Palace, a crucial step towards securing a Champions League spot.

Head to Head Record - Both teams have played each other 31 times. The Eagles have won 4 times, the Blues have won 23 times, with 3 games ending in a draw. Palace has scored 23 goals against the Blues. While Chelsea has scored 64 against Palace. 

Current Standings - The Eagles are 5 points from safety in 15th position. Chelsea are 10 points away from the top of the table in 4th position. 

TEAMS PREVIEW

Crystal Palace Preview

Palace do not possess the best record against Chelsea in the Premier League. Before their draw at Stamford Bridge in September, the club had lost 13 consecutive fixtures against the Blues. The Eagles also tend to struggle opening their account in the New Years, having lost all three matches of the calendar year by an aggregate score of 12-2. All those games have also been important London derbies. The good news is that after an abysmal start to the season, the Eagles have now only lost 2 of their last 11 games - winning 4 and drawing 5. 

The two losses came in London itself against Marco Silva’s Fulham and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. Palace’s forwards will be instructed to get on the scoresheet more with 30% of the club’s Premier League goals coming from defenders. Trevor Chalobah was the last one to score against Southampton, that takes Palace’s tally to 6 out of 20 goals scored by defenders. In 2017-18, the Eagles’ defenders had scored 10 goals in the whole season, which happens to be a club record. Questions will be raised around why the front line are not firing, especially after scoring 20 goals in 6 games at the end of the 2023 season. 

Player to look out for

Eberechi Eze has been Palace’s stand out man for seasons now. Michael Olise’s departure put an extra load on the Englishman, who has taken a while to settle down to life in the Premier League this season. Glasner knows how potent Eze can be once he finds his rhythm. Linking up with Sarr and Mateta can produce wonders for the club. If Eze scores against Chelsea he will become only the second Palace player to score both home and away goals in a single campaign. If he gets in good positions and polishes his finishing ability, Chelsea could be in trouble. 

Injury - Wharton, Riad, Franca and Umeh-Chibueze are out injured. 

Crystal Palace probable XI - Henderson (GK), Lacroix, Chalobah, Richards (DEF), Munoz, Hughes, Lerma, Mitchell (MID), Sarr, Eze, Mateta (FWD). 

Chelsea FC Preview

The Blues possess a sublime stat against their fellow London rivals. Out of 15 Premier League away games, Chelsea has now won 12 of those - drawing once and losing twice. This happens to be the joint-highest away win rate one team has over the other in the competition’s history. The Blues, like Palace, equally struggle to open their account in the new year. They’ve now only won in one of their last 8 calendar years - losing twice and drawing 5 times. 

The only win also came in a London derby against Fulham. But this time round, things took a twist when Marco’s Silva’s side denied Chelsea a win after going numerous games unbeaten. Consistency is what wins you titles and Maresca did agree that the festive period was a difficult one to navigate. Against London rivals, Chelsea boast of a good record - beating West Ham 3-0 and Spurs in an entertaining 4-3 fixture. Maresca will need to turn things around in this derby after losing consecutive games. They last suffered consecutive defeats in 23 Premier League games combined - winning 15 and drawing 6. 

Player to look out for

Cole Palmer has set himself a huge record to break after being involved in 26 goals and 13 assists across the 2024 calendar year. No player was involved in more goals during that tenure. Erling Haaland was the only player to have more shots (142) than Palmer’s (139) and Bruno Fernandes was the only player who created more chances (99) to Palmer’s (97). Maresca may allow this season to pass by simply with Champions League qualification, but at some point he will need to win the Premier League with, especially with a player like Palmer at his disposal. 

Injury - Kellyman, Fofana, Dewsbury-hall, Lavia and Badiashile are out injured. 

Chelsea probable XI - Jorgensen (GK), Disasi, Adarabioyo, Colwill, Cucurella (DEF), Fernandez, Caicedo, Madueke, Palmer, Sancho (MID), Jackson (FWD). 

CRYSTAL PALACE vs CHELSEA FC
Winning Prediction

Oliver Glasner has crafted a side that appears rejuvenated but still struggles to score consistently. Palace must accumulate points to secure a comfortable league position. A win against Chelsea is the only acceptable outcome, but given Palace's history, a draw is a likely scenario. The Blues will be eager for a victory, their last Premier League win occurring on December 16th. The Chelsea frontline will pose a significant threat, but Palace possesses the defensive capabilities to contain their attack.

We Predict a Draw (1-1)

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