Eberechi Eze scored a superb equaliser as Crystal Palace held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues, fresh off a dominant 6-2 victory over Wolves last week, started strong in the first half, with Cole Palmer narrowly missing the target and Dean Henderson making a brilliant save from Noni Madueke before Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring.
Jackson tapped in a cross from Palmer at the near post, putting Chelsea ahead.
However, Palace managed to escape a potential red card when Will Hughes, already on a yellow card, fouled Palmer without further punishment.
The Eagles turned the tide shortly after, with Eze curling a fine strike past Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to level the match.
Sanchez later made a crucial save, pushing away a powerful shot from Daichi Kamada to keep the score level.
The home side had a chance to clinch the victory in stoppage time, but Jackson’s shot was saved by Henderson after he broke through on goal. The draw marked Crystal Palace’s first point of the season after two consecutive losses, while Chelsea now has four points from their opening three matches.
The match highlighted the ongoing transition at Chelsea, who have undergone significant changes this summer, spending over £200 million and seeing 13 new players join the squad while 37 departed. With the transfer window closing soon, the focus can now shift solely to football.
Jadon Sancho, Chelsea’s final summer signing, was introduced to fans before the match, but only one of the new arrivals, Pedro Neto, started against Palace.
Wastefulness haunts Chelsea again
Initially, it seemed the Blues would build on their impressive win against Wolves, but a combination of missed opportunities and Henderson’s excellent goalkeeping meant they could only celebrate Jackson’s goal, his second of the season.
Despite the encouraging performance against Wolves, Chelsea’s inability to convert chances into goals continues to be a concern.
Jackson had two late opportunities to secure the win but failed to capitalise, leaving Enzo Maresca and his men still searching for their first home victory of the 2024-25 season.
Source:
3news.com
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