Chelsea kicked off their Premier League title defence with frustration on Sunday as they were held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.
Softfootball reports that despite enjoying the lion’s share of possession, the Blues could not find a way through a stubborn Eagles defence, stretching their unbeaten run against Palace to 17 matches since 2017.
The London derby had promised goals, especially after both teams lifted trophies over the summer, but in the end it delivered more grit than glamour. Chelsea, winners of the FIFA Club World Cup, controlled much of the play but lacked a cutting edge. Palace, fresh from their FA Cup triumph and Community Shield victory over Liverpool, defended with discipline and showed enough on the break to keep Mauricio Pochettino’s side honest.
The visitors thought they had made the breakthrough when Eberechi Eze rifled home a superb free kick early on. However, VAR intervened, ruling that captain Marc Guéhi had encroached on the Chelsea wall. The decision sparked immediate controversy, and the Premier League Match Centre, responsible for explaining important refereeing and VAR decisions, had to intervene and explain why the goal was chalked off.
They posted via their official X handle:
“#CHECRY – 13’ VAR OVERTURN After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of goal to Crystal Palace. Referee announcement: “After review, away number six is less than one metre away from the wall as the shot is taken. Therefore, it’s an indirect free kick and a disallowed goal.”
From there, the first half settled into a tense battle, with Trevoh Chalobah’s wayward effort the closest Chelsea came before the interval.
Stamford Bridge came alive just after the hour when teenage sensation Estêvão was introduced for his debut. The Brazilian immediately lifted the tempo, drawing roars from the home crowd, but Palace held firm. Late chances fell to substitutes Liam Delap and Andrey Santos, yet Dean Henderson and his back line refused to be breached.
The English Premier League posted the result via their official X handle:
In an interview posted on the club’s official X handle, Chelsea Manager Enzo Maresca felt the result was unfortunate, as his side had a good chance to get a win, but praised the resilience of Crystal Palace, calling them an organised team.
Watch the Interview below:
The result means Chelsea and Palace have now drawn their opening league fixture for a third straight season, following 1-1 draws in 2023 and 2024. Palace fans, however, will take heart, as this is the fourth time in five years they’ve avoided defeat in their first league outing. With a Conference League play-off against Fredrikstad FK looming on Thursday, their season is already shaping up to be another intriguing ride. Chelsea, on the other hand, knows they must rediscover their ruthlessness quickly if they want to be serious title contenders.
