- Chelsea beat Crystal Palace 2-1 on Wednesday, thanks to Noni Madueke’s late penalty
- Following the win, the Blues moved into the top half of the table and currently have 25 points after 19 games
The Chelsea vs Crystal Palace Premier League fixture played on Wednesday night ended in a 2-1 win for the Blues. Chelsea went ahead after 13 minutes of play, thanks to Mykhailo Mudryk’s finish from close range. They continued to create chances after the goal but were wasteful and eventually made to pay for their lack of finishing on the stroke of half-time when Michael Olise levelled the scores for the visitors.
After several failed attempts, Chelsea eventually got the break they needed in the last minute of the game when the VAR spotted Eberechi Eze had fouled Noni Madueke in the box. The youngster made no mistake from the spot as he sent Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson the wrong way to give the hosts a reason to celebrate.
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace. Photo/ Action Network.
Chelsea’s narrow 2-1 win over Palace eased pressure on manager Mauricio Pochettino who had started feeling the heat after his side’s defeat to Wolves on Christmas Eve. The Blues moved into the top half of the table and currently have 25 points after 19 games. This was their first time winning three consecutive league games at Stamford Bridge since October 2022.
Speaking after the match against Everton, Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino said his side didn’t start well and he had to tell them to “stop thinking so much”.
“We didn’t start well. We were a little bit nervous and struggled to manage the pressure of a game that was really important for us. For a young team, we were thinking too much. I told them to stop thinking so much at half-time. We moved so slow from the beginning but then had the chances to score.” Sky Sports quotes Mauricio Pochettino.
Chelsea Vs Crystal Palace
Chelsea named their youngest-ever Premier League starting XI with an average age of 23 years and 21 days. Whereas Christopher Nkunku and Ian Maatsen were handed their first Premier League starts, Moises Caicedo returned from illness.
Meanwhile, Roy Hodgson made just one change to the team that drew with Brighton, introducing Eberechi Eze in place of Will Hughes. It was the visitors who started the contest in West London well and could have taken an early lead if Eze’s free-kick had not sailed just wide of the right post.
Chelsea eventually got into the game afterwards and had their opener when Malo Gusto passed the ball to Mudryk, who finished from a close range. With the momentum on their side, the hosts continued to attack in search of a second goal.
However, they failed to convert their chances and were made to pay just before the half-time whistle when Michael Olise restored parity with an effortless finish. Palace came back the better side after the restart and Mauricio Pochettino would have been left disappointed by his players sluggish legs.
With 15 minutes left to play, Nicolas Jackson missed a glorious opportunity as he dinked his finish off target when in a one-on-one situation with Palace goalie. Nevertheless, that was not the last opportunity Chelsea had as Eze fouled substitute Madueke in the box towards the end of the match. The 21-year-old stepped up and sent Henderson the wrong way to bring joy at Stamford Bridge.
Noni Madueke scored the winner for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. Photo/ TNT Sports.
Crystal Palace are without a win in their last eight Premier League games. They are currently 15th on the standings, just three points above the relegation zone.
Speaking after the defeat at Stamford Bridge, Palace manager Roy Hodgson said his team played well and deserved to walk away with all three points.
“I thought we played really well and did enough to win the three points. They cut through us once or twice and in the second half I thought there was more action around their penalty area than ours. You have to convert those half opportunities into goals, otherwise you run the risk of getting something up the other end.” Roy Hodgson is quoted by Sky Sports.
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