Premier League GW19 - Chelsea vs Crystal Palace

Chelsea vs Crystal Palace | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Chelsea and Crystal Palace battled in a thrilling Premier League match that included highs and lows as well as a thrilling late winner at Stamford Bridge. There was going to be a fierce confrontation on the pitch as both teams were focused on winning important points.

Chelsea:

Chelsea, who lost to Wolves 2-1 last weekend, is currently wallowing in the bottom half of the standings. They will now visit their home stadium, where they have won their last two Premier League home games—more than they have in the previous 17 games. Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea may have just suffered their eighth loss in their last 18 Premier League games, but the former Tottenham manager has an especially strong record against today's opponents: he has won 11 of his 13 league encounters with Crystal Palace, more than any other opponent.

Crystal Palace:

Crystal Palace, who made the quick trip to West London, had only won once in their last seven league games after drawing their previous two games against Brighton and Manchester City. Four points behind their hosts, the Eagles are currently in 15th place in the standings. But history indicates that bridging that divide now might be a difficult task: Palace has lost every one of their last six trips to Stamford Bridge, failing to even score in the last four, and their current run of 11 straight Premier League losses against Chelsea is their longest losing streak against any opponent in their entire existence.

Starting XI:

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1):

Dorde Petrovic; Malo Gusto, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Levi Colwill; Moises Caicedo, Conor Gallagher; Mykhailo Mudryk, Christopher Nkunku, Ian Maatsen; Nicolas Jackson.

SUBS: Marcus Bettinelli, Lucas Bergstrom, Alfie Gilchrist, Thiago Silva, Romeo Lavia, Leo Castledine, Alex Matos, Noni Madueke, Armando Broja.

CRYSTAL PALACE (4-2-3-1):

Dean Henderson; Nathaniel Clyne, Marc Guehi, Joachim Andersen, Tyrick Mitchell; Jefferson Lerma, Chris Richards; Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, Jordan Ayew; Jean-Philippe Mateta.

SUBS: Remi Matthews, Naouirou Ahamada, Matheus Franca, James Tomkins, Will Hughes, Jairo Riedewald, Tayo Adaramola, David Ozoh, Jeffrey Schlupp.

Stamford Bridge Stadium | Picture Credits: Talk Chelsea

First Half Tensions: Mudryk Opens, Olise Responds

Chelsea, led by Mauricio Pochettino, was hoping to turn around a recent setback when the game began. But Crystal Palace had other ideas, hoping to end a long-standing losing skid against their rivals in London.

Chelsea's Mudryk lit up the home crowd in the thirteenth minute when he poked the ball home from close range following a deft cutback by Gusto. Chelsea appeared to be in control of the game after taking an early lead.

However, Palace surprised Stamford Bridge right before the half whistle. Ayew's accurate throughball, lofted high, found Olise at the back post. Olise finished clinically with a hint of genius, tying the score at one. The match was given fresh life by the surprising equaliser, which left both sets of fans nervous.

Second Half Twists: Madueke's Late Heroics

The second half progressed at an unrelenting speed as both sides looked for a vital breakthrough. Mateta had a good chance to put Chelsea up, but Petrovic made an important save. Palace persisted in exerting pressure as its confidence grew.

Jackson slipped past Henderson with ease in the 76th minute, giving Chelsea the impression that they had taken the lead. But VAR stepped in and the goal was disallowed for offside, maintaining a tie in the score.

In the 87th minute, as the seconds passed, the game took an unexpected turn. Following a VAR review, Eze's foul on Madueke at a corner gave Chelsea a penalty. When Madueke had the opportunity to secure the win, he took it with poise and sent Henderson reeling with a crisp strike into the bottom-left corner.

Chelsea Seal Three Points in Dramatic Fashion

Chelsea broke hearts in the 2-1 victory against Palace and extended their remarkable winning run against the Eagles to 12 league games with the late penalty convert.

After a trying time, the victory gave Pochettino's team a much-needed boost and released some pressure. Nevertheless, Chelsea ultimately prevailed despite Palace's tenacity and threats throughout the match.

Chelsea celebrated a thrilling victory as the final whistle blew, but Palace exited Stamford Bridge disappointed. Exciting matches are always guaranteed by the Premier League, and this one was no different.

Mudryk scored a goal and gave Chelsea a 1-0 lead | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Olise scored a late goal in the first half and equalised the score | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Madueke netted a perfect goal through the penalty and gave Chelsea a 2-1 lead | Picture Credits: Premier League Website