Chelsea will be hoping to kick off 2025 with a win when they travel to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace in their first Premier League game of the new year on Saturday evening.
Unlike their West London counterparts, Palace dropped the curtain on a turbulent 2024 with consecutive games without suffering defeat.
They held a high-flying Bournemouth side to a goalless draw at Vitality Stadium before ending the year with a narrow yet crucial 2-1 win over relegation-threatened Southampton.
After a massively underwhelming start to 2024/25, Palace finally look to be building a head of steam and will host Chelsea with renewed confidence.
However, they should be expecting a Chelsea side desperate to make sure their ill-timed blip doesn’t become a full-blown crisis.
The Blues ended 2024 on a three-game winless streak, most recently falling to a shocking defeat at the hands of a lowly Ipswich Town at Portman Road Stadium.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has repeatedly played down his side’s chances of challenging for the Premier League title and has been proven right by the team’s recent wobble.
However, he’d be hoping for a clean slate on Saturday, keen to begin the year with maximum points in the bag.
There’s no doubt fans on both ends will be glued to their screens for the high-stakes London derby, but those who want a more immersive experience can get Crystal Palace tickets from Seatsnet.com at competitive prices.
Match Preview
Chelsea went on a blistering eight-match winning streak across all competitions after the November international break.
However, it came to a screeching halt in a goalless draw against Everton before Christmas, which turned out to be a prelude to consecutive defeats against Fulham and Ipswich.
The Blues failed to break down a stingy Everton defence in their final before going on to concede a 95th-minute winner to Fulham at Stamford Bridge while also handing Ipswich their first win at Portman Road back in the top flight.
The alarm bells are ringing, but Maresca has been unsurprised by his side’s dip in form, with the manager repeatedly omitting his team from conversations about the title race.
Defeat against Ipswich was a fatal blow to the Blues’ slim chances of winning the Premier League title, bumping them down to fourth on the table, ten points behind Liverpool, having played a game more.
The performance against Ipswich was particularly concerning.
Despite dominating possession and attempts on goal, Chelsea rarely threatened Ipswich’s defence.
Considering their blistering form in the final third this season – boasting the joint-third attacking record in the league – their recent struggles have become a worrying trend.
They’ve now failed to score in consecutive league games on the road.
If they don’t get a goal against Palace, they could set a disheartening record of going three in a row for the first time in nearly six years, last doing so under former Italian manager Maurizio Sarri.
Historically, Selhurst Park has been a happy hunting ground for Chelsea, who have won 12 of their 15 Premier League visits.
However, the Eagles managed to snatch a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge in September, ending Chelsea’s 14-match winning streak in this fixture.
With Newcastle United breathing down their necks, a defeat to Palace could see Chelsea slip out of the top four.
A win for Palace is highly unlikely given their appalling record against Chelsea, but the same could be said about games against Fulham and Ipswich before kick-off.
Palace have struggled historically against Chelsea in the Premier League, succumbing to defeat on 24 occasions – more than against any other club.
However, recent form suggests the Eagles could be poised to change the narrative.
Under Oliver Glasner, Palace endured a difficult start to the campaign, failing to win any of their opening eight league games and suffering five defeats.
But they seem to have turned a corner, losing just twice in their last 11 outings, although both defeats came at their headquarters in London derbies against Fulham and Arsenal.
A hard-fought 2-1 victory over Southampton in their last outing marked only their second home win in ten league games this season.
Draws have plagued their campaign, leaving them 15th in the table, five points clear of the relegation zone.
They’re not out of the woods yet and with crucial games against Leicester City, West Ham United, Manchester United, Everton, and Brentford on the horizon after their FA Cup tie, Palace’s upcoming fixtures could define their season.
Key Stats
Palace host Chelsea in South London looking to end a 15-game winless streak against the Blues in all competitions (D1, L14).
On the bright side, the only draw in that run came against Saturday’s opponents at Stamford Bridge, and Glasner’s side will hope to build on that result.
But it will be far from a cakewalk given Chelsea’s fantastic record at Selhurst Park, winning their last six visits and netting 14 goals in the process.
The Eagles will hope to win back-to-back Premier League games on home turf for the first time since an impressive four-game streak between April and May last season.
The odds are heavily stacked against them as Chelsea have been clinical in their trips across the capital.
The Blues have beaten West Ham 3-0 and come from behind to claim maximum points against Tottenham in a hugely entertaining affair that ended 4-3.
Team News
Palace skipper Marc Guehi will return from the one-match suspension he served during the 2-1 win against Southampton. Adam Wharton and Matheus Franca are injured. Will Hughes will also miss the game.
For Chelsea, Reece James was back on the bench against Ipswich, which was a major boost for Maresca. Romeo Lavia could also return, but Wesley Fofana may miss the entire season.
Benoit Badiashile and Mykhailo Mudryk are also unavailable.
Crystal Palace potential starting line-up:
(3-4-3): Dean Henderson; Trevoh Chalobah, Maxence Lacroix, Marc Guehi; Daniel Munoz, Will Hughes, Jefferson Lerma, Tyrick Mitchell; Ismaila Sarr, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Eberechi Eze.
Chelsea potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Robert Sanchez; Malo Gusto, Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella; Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo; Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho; Nicolas Jackson.
