Chelsea suffered a poor end to 2024 and travel to Selhurst Park on Saturday looking for a Premier League win over Crystal Palace to start the new year with three points. Enzo Maresca’s side lost to both Fulham and Ipswich Town and are now 10 points behind league leaders Liverpool who also have played one game less despite the Blues winning eight consecutive games post-November internationals. Now winless in three, Maresca will be concerned by how his players struggled for goals against Everton and Ipswich and conceded late against Fulham. Another goalless showing here and it would be Chelsea’s first three-game scoreless run on the road since Maurizio Sarri was in charge.
Palace themselves have been in fluctuating form and Chelsea have beaten them 12 times out of 15 visits in the EPL to Selhurst Park. Although these two drew earlier in the season, the Eagles struggle to avoid defeat in both games against the Blues each season and have never done so in a Premier League campaign. A recent upturn in form does provide hope although they are still mired in the lower half of the table. Leicester City, West Ham United, Manchester United and Everton are up next as well as Brentford so points could be targeted there as well.
Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Saturday, January 4 | Time: 10 a.m. ET
- Location: Selhurst Park – Croydon, England
- Watch: Peacock Premium
- Odds: Palace +250; Draw +280; Chelsea -105
Season so far
Maresca claims that he was expecting a run of results like the one that has just arrived, and that it probably ends any title tilt talk. Now fourth and 10 points adrift of Liverpool which could stretch to 13, a loss here would see them drop out of the top four if Newcastle United beat Tottenham Hotspur by a big enough margin. Oliver Glasner’s men have lost just two of their last 11 games having gone eight games without a win at the start of the season. Their two most recent losses came at home to London-based rivals and their win over Southampton was their second home win in 10 this term with a flurry of draws stunting their rise up the table. Currently 15th, the Eagles are only five points clear of the relegation places.
Team news
Palace: Ex-Chelsea man Marc Guehi is back from suspension but Adam Wharton is not expected to return just yet. Will Hughes and Jefferson Lerma are solid in the middle while Ismaila Sarr has found form of late alongside Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Possible Palace XI: Henderson; Chalobah, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Hughes, Lerma, Mitchell; Sarr, Mateta, Eze.
Chelsea: Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix and Filip Jorgensen failed to impress against Ipswich and Robert Sanchez is set to return in goal with Nicolas Jackson and Pedro Neto also coming back in. Reece James was an unused substitute while Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile are still out injured.
Possible Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Enzo, Caicedo; Pedro Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson.
Prediction
Although this one could easily end as a score draw, a narrow Chelsea win with both sides scoring makes sense given Palace’s poor record in this fixture. Pick: Palace 1, Chelsea 2.
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