Chelsea were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Crystal Palace in their Premier League opener at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, after the visitors had a stunning Eberechi Eze free-kick controversially disallowed by VAR.
The midfielder, who has been strongly linked with a move to Tottenham, thought he had given Palace a 13th-minute lead with a powerful 20-yard strike. However, the goal was chalked off following a VAR review after it was determined that Palace defender Marc Guehi was standing inside the one-metre exclusion zone from Chelsea’s defensive wall, an infrequently enforced rule.
Despite the setback, Palace were the superior side for large periods of the first half and created further chances through Jean-Philippe Mateta and Maxence Lacroix.
Chelsea, who celebrated their recent Club World Cup triumph before kick-off, delivered a subdued and disjointed performance. Despite fielding a host of expensive attacking talent, including debutant Joao Pedro, the hosts struggled to create clear-cut opportunities and registered only three shots on target.
The introduction of fellow debutants Estevao Willian and Liam Delap in the second half brought more urgency, but the Blues failed to break down a well-organised Palace defence.
The flat display may be attributed to a shortened 13-day pre-season, a consequence of their Club World Cup final victory over Paris St-Germain just 35 days ago in New Jersey. With five players making their league debuts, the new-look Chelsea side appeared to lack cohesion against a Palace team that deservedly left with a point.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.