Chelsea vs Crystal Palace Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 English Premier League
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For a third successive week to kick off their 2024/25 Premier League season, Crystal Palace are playing in a London derby as they travel to the west of the capital to go to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea this weekend.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Sunday 1st September, 2024 - UK – 1:30pm / US ET – 8:30am / US PT – 5:30am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Not televised / US – Not televised
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Cannot be streamed / US – Peacock, Fubo, Sling Blue or DirecTV Stream
CHELSEA PREVIEW: UNCERTAINTY AT CHELSEA
Chelsea are still a mess, regardless of what supposedly smart or smarter people are trying to suggest about the way in which Todd Boehly is running the club. That said, the Blues have begun this season with a victory in their opening two matches as well as progression in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
That UEFA Europa Conference League became uncertain in midweek when they suffered a 2-1 second-leg loss to Servette in the playoffs the other day but held on to a 3-2 aggregate victory. Last weekend, despite being level at 2-2 at half-time, Enzo Maresca’s side ran riot at Wolverhampton Wanderers with a win by six goals to two at Molineux.
CRYSTAL PALACE PREVIEW: SLOW START FOR PALACE
Towards the end of last season, after replacing Roy Hodgson in the Crystal Palace dugout, Oliver Glasner managed to implement an impressive system and style of football that saw the Eagles propelled into the top-half of the Premier League table by the end of the campaign and there was a lot of excitement ahead of this campaign.
However, after the sales of Joachim Andersen and Michael Olise this summer, Palace began their season with a 2-1 defeat away to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on the opening weekend of the campaign before then suffering a 2-0 loss to West Ham United at Selhurst Park last weekend.
CHELSEA TEAM NEWS: NO LAVIA OR JAMES
Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Belgium international midfielder Romeo Lavia and England international defender Reece James remain unavailable but are aiming to return to the side after the September international break.
Wesley Fofana, Malo Gusto and Pedro Neto were rested in midweek with the first two expected to start and there could be a start for Joao Felix, too, ahead of Mykhaylo Mudryk.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Moises Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Joao Felix; Jackson
UNAVAILABLE: James (Injured), Lavia (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
CRYSTAL PALACE TEAM NEWS: GUEHI REMAINS
In his pre-match press conference ahead of the weekend, Oliver Glasner has confirmed that club captain Marc Guehi will be remaining at the club despite interest throughout the summer from Newcastle United.
The Eagles do remain without Brazilian attacker Matheus Franca and new signing Chadi Riad will also be unavailable after picking up an injury against Norwich the other day.
PREDICTED XI (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Clyne, Guehi, Richards; Daniel Munoz, Doucoure, Wharton, Mitchell; Kamada, Eze; Mateta
UNAVAILABLE: Riad (Injured), Matheus Franca (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
CHELSEA VS CRYSTAL PALACE PREDICTION
Despite what is a relatively acceptable start to the season, Enzo Maresca’s home team have conceded two goals in three of the four matches that they played in August and that came after a pre-season in which they were leaky, too. Palace will play on the counter-attack and showed their attacking capabilities in a 4-0 demolition of Norwich City in the second round of the EFL Cup in midweek. Palace may not be able to get over the line given that they are away from home but both teams scoring would seem a good bet for what could be quite an entertaining clash.
CHELSEA VS CRYSTAL PALACE TIP: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
