This outcome should have felt like a punch within the guts for Roy Hodgson. In his 2 hundredth match in cost, Crystal Palace succumbed to a thirteenth successive defeat in opposition to Chelsea having taken the lead via Jefferson Lerma’s first aim for the membership, after two strikes from Conor Gallagher.
It was the cruellest blow for a supervisor who has already suffered a lot this season as his workforce have struggled with accidents and a poor run of type that now stretches to 2 wins of their final 14 matches. But for Mauricio Pochettino’s aspect, who wrapped up the factors in stoppage time with a 3rd from Enzo Fernández, this was an unbelievable turnaround after a primary half that had seen Chelsea plumb new depths. Yet it was Gallagher – who scored eight instances whereas on mortgage at Palace and now has 4 in six appearances in opposition to them – who sparked the revival that left Hodgson’s place in jeopardy as soon as extra.
Hodgson had described Palace’s present predicament as “the toughest period of my career for one reason, and that is that the fans have turned so much against us”. So a sequence of banners being held by dwelling supporters because the groups kicked off, certainly one of which took purpose at “weak club culture and direction”, was not precisely what he wanted.
The main criticism of the 76-year-old has been his unwillingness to present Palace’s younger gamers a possibility however maybe feeling he had nothing to lose within the absence of Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze, Matheus França was lastly handed his first Premier League begin six months after his arrival. By distinction, Pochettino has no points with creating gamers however might undoubtedly do with some extra consistency from his workforce. He opted to begin Cole Palmer as a false 9 with Nicolas Jackson working down the left flank, whereas Gallagher was again on the floor the place he loved such success on mortgage two seasons in the past.
Not that it appeared to make a lot distinction to Chelsea’s spluttering assault as neither aspect regarded able to elevating the temperature on a cold evening in south London. Thirteen of Palace’s 26 league objectives this season have been scored or created by Eze or Olise however the 20-year-old Adam Wharton confirmed his skill on his first full begin since becoming a member of from Blackburn with a raking ball that just about performed in Jean-Philippe Mateta. The Frenchman ought to have executed higher when he robbed the ball off Axel Disasi from a Chelsea throw-in however might solely direct his shot straight at Djordje Petrovic.
If ever a sport wanted a carry then this was it and Lerma duly obliged. Tyrick Mitchell’s resilience made all of it potential after a superb double deal with on Noni Madueke and Moisés Caicedo, though Chelsea have been aggrieved that Lerma had fouled the Ecuador midfielder earlier than hammering the ball into the online from 25 yards out. Selhurst Park erupted in a uncommon second of celebration in opposition to their London rivals after a dropping run that stretches again to a 2-1 win right here in October 2017 courtesy of a successful aim from Wilfried Zaha.
He is lengthy gone today after all however regardless of their patched up aspect, it was Palace who continued to pose extra of a risk as a nonplussed Pochettino watched his aspect create nothing. Almost 80% of possession had yielded exactly one shot – skewed large by Gallagher – by half-time. It might have been worse for Chelsea had the referee, Michael Oliver, dominated in opposition to Thiago Silva after he appeared to shove Daniel Muñoz over inside the realm.
Both units of followers joined in with a rendition of Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds throughout a delay to the beginning of the second half on account of technical points for Oliver. It appeared to spark Chelsea’s gamers into life as inside 90 seconds, Gallagher had slammed dwelling Malo Gusto’s cross to equalise and abruptly every little thing was all proper once more. Sort of.
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With the half-time substitute Christopher Nkunku to the fore, Chelsea confirmed renewed attacking goal as Palmer dragged his effort large from one other Gusto cross. Mateta noticed his effort from a França via ball blocked by Silva following a late lunge from the veteran Brazilian that signalled the tip of his evening’s work.
Petrovic needed to be alert to tip França’s shot from outdoors the realm round his submit in certainly one of few possibilities late on, whereas Palmer couldn’t beat Dean Henderson from a decent angle after a wonderful interchange with Gusto. Mateta was denied a penalty late on after taking place below a problem from Levi Colwill earlier than Gallagher struck together with his hammer blow within the first minute of damage time and Fernández despatched Chelsea’s jubilant followers into the evening with one other assured end.
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