In a disappointing Premier League encounter at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea failed to establish their dominance as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Crystal Palace.
In spite of enjoying long spells of possession, the Blues fell short in attacking and created very little to trouble their London rivals.
Palace thought they had taken an early lead when Eberechi Eze struck a superb free kick into the top corner, only for VAR to rule the goal out after Marc Guéhi was deemed to be standing within a meter of the defensive wall. The visitors, however, looked sharper in attack for much of the first half, with Adam Wharton combining neatly with Jean-Philippe Mateta to force a strong save from Robert Sánchez.
Chelsea, meanwhile, endured a sluggish opening period. Cole Palmer was quiet, while Pedro Neto tried to inject urgency but often found himself isolated. The lack of rhythm in Chelsea’s play meant Palace grew in confidence as the game wore on.
The introduction of 18-year-old Estêvão in the second half gave the home side some much-needed energy. The Brazilian winger immediately skipped past his marker and delivered a dangerous cross into the box. Minutes later, he had Chelsea’s best chance of the match but wasted it with a poor first touch before firing over the bar.
The Blues’ late rally in the final 10 minutes saw them create several half-chances. The clearest opportunity fell to substitute Andrey Santos, who blazed high over the bar from a promising position, summing up Chelsea’s wasteful evening.
One of the few bright spots for Enzo Maresca’s side was the performance of academy graduate Josh Acheampong. The young defender impressed throughout, matching Mateta physically and showing composure when bringing the ball out from the back. Estêvão also offered flashes of promise but will be disappointed not to have made more of his golden chance.
On the flip side, Chelsea’s attacking struggles were glaring. After registering a shot on target in the third minute, they failed to test the goalkeeper again until stoppage time. Their build-up play was predictable, while the final pass or finish was consistently lacking.
Manager Enzo Maresca, rated 5/10, was proactive with his substitutions, quickly turning to Estêvão in search of a spark. However, questions may be asked about whether he should have introduced Liam Delap earlier to provide more presence up front.
Among individual performances, Sánchez (5) made the saves expected of him and was fortunate VAR came to his rescue after Eze’s disallowed strike. Marc Cucurella (6) showed attacking intent when stepping into midfield, while Trevoh Chalobah (6) read the game well and contributed to Chelsea’s pressing. Reece James (5) endured a mixed display, picking up a yellow card for a clumsy foul. In midfield, Moisés Caicedo (5) pressed aggressively but often arrived late, and Enzo Fernández (5) struggled for impact before being replaced. Jamie Gittens (4) worked hard on debut but offered little attacking output.
The stalemate leaves Chelsea still searching for consistency under Maresca, while Palace will feel encouraged by a disciplined performance and the chances they created.
