Enzo Maresca will have to wait at least another four weeks for his first home Premier League win as Chelsea manager after Eberechi Eze’s beautifully crafted equaliser pegged back his team despite another improved display.
With the window firmly shut and the door seemingly locked on the senior outcasts the Chelsea manager has deemed surplus to his requirements this season, the aim was to turn Stamford Bridge into something of a fortress.
After the defeat on the opening day here against Manchester City, though, there was still a slightly subdued optimism around the stadium ahead of a clash against a team still looking for their first point of the season – not least as it followed Chelesa’s 6-2 thrashing of Wolves at Molineux.
Newest signing Jadon Sancho was introduced to the Stamford Bridge crowd before kick-off to little more than polite applause. With 12 more arrivals this summer, player unveilings have become somewhat run of the mill. Celebrations these days are reserved for those that can be persuaded to leave the club, given the size of the current squad.
More significant in the pre-match formalities was the handing over of the PFA Player of the Year award to Cole Palmer. It seemed to inspire him to set about trying to reclaim the 2024-25 accolade. The Chelsea playmaker was at the centre of everything that was good in a Maresca side who are slowly morphing into a more coherent shape now that their many disparate parts are beginning to lock into position.
Within 12 minutes, Palmer himself had slid a left-footed shot just inches past the foot of the far post as Chelsea began to enjoy the better possession against their London rivals. However, it was his telling assist that enabled Nicolas Jackson to tap in the opener after 25 minutes to end a flowing box-to-box move that started with Levi Colwill and involved good work from Noni Madueke before Palmer was able to carve the opening.
Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson was laid out in the move by an accidental collision with the knee of his teammate Daniel Muñoz but was able to resume following treatment to play a vital role in keeping his side in the game.
Palmer remained unplayable and Will Hughes, already booked, should have received a second yellow card for another foul on his tormentor on the edge of the penalty area. Also carrying a knock, the Crystal Palace midfielder was replaced five minutes after the restart, and it changed the whole tone of the game.
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Three minutes after replacing him, substitute Cheick Doucouré had a shot blocked from a half-cleared set piece. However, the rebound fell to Eze, who took the time he needed to curl the ball precisely inside the far post.
Suddenly, the visitors were carving Chelsea open and Robert Sánchez was relieved to see Daichi Kamada’s fierce 18-yard shot in the 77th minute fly away to safety after it slithered through his fingers on the goalline.
Eight minutes of additional time raised Chelsea tails for a late finale – time enough for Jackson twice to break clear of the Palace defence. The first time his shot found the side-netting; the second effort was met by a combination of Henderson’s thigh and wrist, taking yet another Chelsea managerial reign into a nervy first international break without a home league win.
Source: theguardian.com
