Chelsea 0–0 Crystal Palace: Post-Match Reaction & Player Ratings
It was a flat and underwhelming way for Chelsea to kick off their Premier League campaign. a 0–0 draw at Stamford Bridge against Crystal Palace that felt more like a return from celebration than a springboard into the season.
Chelsea began with noticeable energy, peppering Palace’s goal with early corners and nearly scoring when Marc Cucurella’s flick was expertly cleared off the line. But beyond that moment of promise, their attack lacked the spark expected of reigning Club World Cup champions.
Palace’s standout moment arrived in the 13th minute when Eberechi Eze blistered his free-kick past Robert Sánchez. Unfortunately for Palace (and delightfully for Chelsea), VAR intervened, Marc Guéhi was penalized for infringing from too close to the wall, nullifying the goal with a technical infraction.
Both teams struggled to generate real opportunities from open play. Despite commanding over 70% possession and launching 19 attempts, Chelsea managed just three shots on target. Their forward lines, featuring new signings João Pedro and Jamie Gittens, failed to make a meaningful impact.
A bright spot came off the bench: 18-year-old Estêvão injected pace and invention down the right, while Liam Delap’s late introduction offered some hope, though neither could secure a winner.
Player Ratings (Community View)
According to the SB Nation article, Chelsea started with some urgency but failed to do much with it, with just one shot on target in the first 90 minutes (and the next one not until deep into stoppage time). Estêvão and Delap brought life late, but it ultimately felt like another predictable stalemate.