Crystal Palace 1-4 Chelsea
Chelsea took three vital points in the Saturday teatime kick-off at Selhurst Park as Kai Havertz tore Crystal Palace to pieces in the first half, scoring one goal and assisting a second before the Blues raced into a three goal lead when Kurt Zouma headed home.
Christian Benteke pulled a goal back for the Eagles but they were second best throughout and Christian Pulisic scored his second to make it 4-1.
The race for the top four in the Premier League warmed up considerably last week when Chelsea’s defeat to West Brom saw the Blues fall out of the top four. Then today’s earlier Premier League 2021 results on Saturday threw up an injury time winner for Liverpool against Aston Villa as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s 91st minute strike ended the Reds six match losing streak at Anfield. But more importantly the victory lifted Liverpool up to fourth place and a point ahead of Chelsea.
The Blues knew a win would take them back into the Champions League places and head coach Thomas Tuchel will be delighted how they responded.
Highlights of the game
The Eagles have recently pulled away from the relegation zone, with 38 points before kick-off, which seemed just as well when, after a devastating opening ten minutes, Chelsea were two up!
With slick passing and great finishing Palace were undone, first by Kai Havertz who robbed Ebere Eze, passed to Callum Hudson-Odoi who returned the ball and Havertz picked his spot beating Vicente Guaita at his far post. It was his second Premier League goal and his first away from home, and it was a real touch of class from Havertz. That was on eight minutes and two later Christian Pulisic rounded off another smart passing move when he met a Havertz pull back and hit a thunderbolt above Guaita and into the roof of the net.
Havertz almost made it three when he latched onto a through ball from Jorginho, taking a sublime first touch and lifting it over Patrick Van Aanholt before volleying low to Guaita’s right, but the keeper made a brilliant save to deny a goal-of-the-season contender.
The Eagles defence was breached again on the half hour, and this time it was centre back Kurt Zouma, with his first of the season, meeting a free-kick from Mason Mount and planting his unmarked header high above Guaita and into the net. Minutes later Antonio Rudiger almost emulated Zouma with a great climb and header but this time Van Aanholt was on the goal-line to clear.
Chelsea began the second half in similar style and looked likely to score every time they swarmed forwards, but Ben Chilwell was twice off target when the chances came. But Palace pulled a goal back on the hour, totally out of the blue, when substitute Jeff Schlupp put the Eagles’ first good cross of the game in and Christian Benteke rose to head past Edouard Mendy and make it 3-1.
Havertz almost extended Chelsea’s lead again when he was clean through but Guaita saved well, and a goal bound effort from Mason Mount was blocked by a determined Palace defence. But the Blues went 4-1 up when a cross from Reece James took a deflection off Gary Cahill and bounced into the path of Pulisic who slammed home his second and Chelsea’s fourth.
Key statistics
The pre-match Crystal Palace vs Chelsea betting odds had Chelsea at 1.52 to win and within ten minutes those odds had dropped rapidly as the Blues took the Eagles to task.
The win was Chelsea’s seventh in succession against Crystal Palace who have now conceded 53 goals for the season, more than they conceded in the whole of the 2019/20 campaign when they let in 51.
The Blues are now unbeaten in their last eight games away from home.
And while Havertz and Pulisic ran the Eagles defence ragged, Zouma became the Premier League’s top scoring defender when he scored his fifth goal of the season.
What’s next?
The Eagles’ tough run continues in two weeks time with a visit to top four hopefuls Leicester City, before they entertain champions elect Manchester City on May 1st. Head coach Roy Hodgson will be furious the way his team capitulated in the first half tonight and will demand better.
Meanwhile Chelsea are back in Champions League action on Tuesday when they host Porto, having beaten the Portuguese side 2-0 in the first leg. And the huge games just keep on coming as they face Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley next weekend. The Sky Blues are chasing a quadruple, already in the Carabao Cup final and going nicely in the Champions League, while the SBOTOP Premier League odds say the league title is pretty much in the bag.
Thomas Tuchel’s Blues have just as much on their plate, in two cups and with plenty still to do to confirm a top four place in the league.
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