Chelsea has struggled to find consistency throughout the season, alternating between quite successful matches and outright disappointing ones. For instance, in the last five rounds, the “Blues” have won twice and lost thrice. Notably, both victories during this period were achieved on their home turf, defeating “Brighton” (3:2) and “Sheffield United” (2:0). In the previous round, Mauricio Pochettino’s men played away against “Wolverhampton.” Most of the significant events in that match unfolded in the second half, with emotions running high on the pitch. However, the “Wolves” managed to maintain their advantage and secured a 2:1 victory. Following the match, Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling received yellow cards, rendering them unavailable for the upcoming match against “Crystal Palace.” It’s worth noting that at “Stamford Bridge,” the London side remained undefeated in their last three fixtures. Furthermore, they have a chance to improve upon this record today, facing a convenient opponent. In their last 12 head-to-head encounters across all competitions, Chelsea has consistently emerged victorious.
Crystal Palace has been winless for seven rounds. While it wouldn’t be accurate to say the team looks outright weak in their gameplay — they managed to secure points against “West Ham” (1:1), “Manchester City” (2:2), and “Brighton” (1:1) in this period. However, luck often eludes the “Eagles” in capitalizing on opportunities. For instance, against “Liverpool,” they had several excellent chances on counterattacks but still lost 1:2. They were leading against “Seagulls” until the 82nd minute but failed to maintain their advantage. Up next for Roy Hodgson’s side is the London derby against one of the most challenging opponents for them. Clearly, the strategy of playing defensively and relying on counterattacks isn’t effective against the “Blues,” regardless of Chelsea’s current form.
