Chelsea v Crystal Palace: Premier League – reside | Premier League

30 min Gittens pulls vast and flicks into the field for Pedro, who holds up briefly, then Caicdeo stomps on to the free ball on the sting, his shot deflected behind for a nook.

28 min Cucurella geese to win a header and Munoz piles via him. That have to be an especially disagreeable sensation akin to being tickled by a truck, and the Palace man is booked.

27 min Chelsea are actually struggling to pay money for the ball in midfield. To this point, Wharton has been way more influential than Caicedo and Fernandez and actually, it's nice however stunning he's nonetheless at Palace. After the final Euros, I used to be advised he was the participant that members of the England squad could be telling their managers that they had to purchase, however he seems set for a second season since then having fun with the Selhurst vibe.

25 min A protracted ball frees Neto who has Pedro within the center, however he's double-teamed earlier than he can sq. – actually, he's too gradual to – and wins a nook as an alternative. In involves nothing.

25 min James is booked for a foul out on the best touchline and Palce take it quick for Eze, who hits a speculative long-ranger straight at Sanchez.

23 min I've amended the purpose disallowed entry, however for these not checking under, the infringement wasn't the shove however that Guehi was too near the wall. Selections are actually being defined over the stadium PA however I didn't fairly hear what was stated.

21 min I knew I'd see one thing just like the Eze purpose earlier than, and that is the place. Lee Glover received away with it that day and all of us coped, however the officers had been rousted at half-time if i keep in mind accurately.

19 min Higher from Wharton – Palace are the higher facet now – taking the ball, lending it out, receiving it again, and guiding a terrific cross in behind for Mateta, whose first contact takes him into the field and he's in! However he can't fairly get it out of his toes so should shoot from round him, lashing straight at Sanchez, who blocks to security.

17 min “Thank God for VAR,” reckons Niall Mullen. “That type of stunning injustice is precisely why it was launched within the first place.”

Now this can be a completely different argument. I'd not have launched VAR within the first place, and would scrap it in a second, however that was nonetheless a foul.

16 min I'm not remotely shocked Chris Sutton thinks it was a foul “by the letter of the legislation” but additionally that the purpose ought to've stood. We are able to't run the sport based on aesthetics and buzz, I'm afraid.

It's a shove from Geuhi and if we're being sincere, we are able to say that sure, sensible end, and in addition sure, it feels improper to disallow a purpose for that. But it surely's nonetheless a foul, so what alternative did the officers have? Oh, however really the purpose was disallowed as a result of Guehi was too near the Chelsea wall. On that foundation, there's nothing else to say.

VAR needs a have a look at Guehi's involvement…

AND THERE IT IS! You can inform by the way in which he lined it up that he wasn't bothering with the frippery of finesse and he wasn't, Guehi serving to lever Cucurella away and the ball completely assaulted via the hole. It's nearly straight at Sanchez who, unsighted, can't fairly shovel it away.

13 min I say deft, however there's a additionally a foot-through risk…

11 min Palace are rising into this, Munoz making floor down the best and Eze carrying throughout the face of the Chelsea field earlier than Cucurella is late on Hughes contained in the D. The ref permits play to proceed for a second, in case there's a bonus, earlier than blowing up. Free-kick Palace, in a harmful space if somebody is deft sufficient to get the ball up and down from so near the field; Eze fancies it…

10 min Trying once more on the Richards header, it was drifting properly vast, and I'm not really certain why Sanchez dived for it; that doesn't replicate properly on his judgment.

9 min Richards and Gittens are again, however now Sarr is complaining about arm-knack. He did, although, win a free-kick first, which'll be pumped into the field from 45 yards away; Richards is up, however Sanchez saves simply sufficient.

7 min We're all questioning how Forest will fare this season – can they preserve their degree with out the weather of shock? Effectively, Chris Wooden has put them forward towards Brentford, a purpose we've been proven by Sky, who now have permission to display screen each 2pm kick-off. This can be a good improvement, or could be had been it not for all of the unhealthy issues that include blanket telly protection.

6 min A break in play as Richards and Gittens have clashed. Each must be high quality.

4 min Once more, Cucurella wins the flick on the close to submit – Palace must type that, Cucurella is shorter than my 11-year-old daughter – and Sarr eases Fernandez out of it, deploying simply sufficient power to ge tit executed and never fairly sufficient to danger sanction.

3 min James swings in, Cucurella flicks on on the close to submit, how is Wharton permitting that?! The ball loops in the direction of the far submit, the place Sarr is compelled to nod behind for a nook from the opposite facet; it yields one other, Wharton's defensive work sloppy as soon as extra.

2 min “It might be that Eze agrees with you re a transfer to Spurs,” says Dave Dudding. “Suspect he (and Palace) will maintain out for so long as doable to see if Arsenal make a transfer. And that will be price his whereas.”

Meantime, Gittens wins a nook off Richards; first likelihood for Chelsea to make one thing occur/

1 min A really good first “motion” from Achemampong, dropping a shoulder to cary out of defence and cross into midfield. He'll really feel higher for that and, we might be very certain, he's already by no means felt higher.

1 min Away we go, Palmer insouciantly knocking the ball again to Sanchez. I hope this isn't a portent.

A silence for Diogo Jota and Andre Silva. Go properly, boys.

“I do get your level on Eze and it's fairly spot-on,” writes Karen Asad. I like him a lot that I preserve hoping at the very least Arsenal give you a proposal and snap him up. That's nearer to a giant membership transfer than transferring to Spurs. I additionally hoped United would settle for Saudi provide for Bruno and change him with Eze. That might have been incredible!”

I really like Eze as a participant – he's such an artist – however I'm not sure he's fairly ok to be a most important man in a facet difficult for the largest trophies. I'd, although, take pleasure in seeing him strive.

Did Enzo Fernandez hit a brand new degree through the summer time? I'm not sure I'd be choosing him if Romeo Lavia was match, however that's not an everyday prevalence and I felt he was starting to discover a approach pf balancing defensive and attacking obligations with out the elite athletic skill to make that a lot simpler.

Our groups are tunnelled and right here they arrive!

“Undecided I can get behind all of your preamble ideas on Chelsea,” chides Scott O'Brien. “Sure, mid-season Chelsea had been sterile and missing in character however early season after which the close-out have been fairly good – you get the sensation that they're studying to shift between risk-averse possession soccer and the type of quick, transitional chaos that that they had at first of the season and within the shut of the earlier season below Pochettino.

By way of excellent gamers, I feel that Caicedo and Palmer are in that bracket, James is there when match and firing. If the qualification is 3/4 in an excellent crew, then I reckon that's near Arsenal (Rice, Saka, Saliba, Raya) and Metropolis (Haaland and … some unproven however thrilling additions, like Chelsea). Liverpool extra clearly established (Alisson, Van Dijk, Mac Allister, Salah). That's why third or 4th appears a smart prediction, however may push on.”

I'm see how Palmer goes this season – I do know he was sensible within the CWC remaining, however I'm much less sure his maverick tendencies and out-of possession work meld that properly with what Maresca needs. I agree on Reece James, however that comes with the if of health but additionally the truth that he's a right-back and there's solely a lot distinction he could make to a sport, and I like Caicedo however is he actually one of many high 5 on the earth in his place? I'm undecided he's even high 10.

It's considerably unusual to listen to Chris Sutton complain – persist with me! – about Nicolas Jackson not being a ok centre-forward for Chelsea. The comparability: one purpose in 28 video games versus 24 objectives in 65 video games.

E-mail! “I can't agree along with your view that Chelsea aren't ok to win the title,” offers-out Rick Harris. “They had been ok to win the Membership World Cup and Estevao seems some participant, whereas they've a number of squad depth as properly. You'll be able to level at any of the seemingly contenders and ask, what occurs if Van Dyck will get injured, or Haaland suffers a season ending ACL rupture, or Arsenal have vital accidents to any variety of gamers like Saka, Rice or Gabriel. Chelsea seem like they nonetheless have cash to spend so a number of extra gamers could also be incoming so as to add to what already seems like a powerful squad. I'd put them proper up there as seemingly PL champions.”

I feel successful the CWC shall be an issue too, as I discussed within the preamble, and that i additionally don't assume Chelsea would've received it had all concerned taken it as severely as they did. However greater than that, I don't see a participant, bar Cole Palmer, ok to win them video games they could in any other case draw or lose.

Glasner speaks to Sky, saying it's simple to handle the gamers regardless of the success as they're an incredible group, in order that they celebrated on Sunday, then received again to it on Monday.

Eze's mind set is superb, which is why he's beginning, and says the state of affairs presents good recommendation for the youngsters watching: “don't imagine all the pieces you learn within the newspapers”.

I'm far kind sure anybody who may legitimately be described as a child even is aware of what a newspaper is.

Trying on the groups once more, I additionally surprise if Palace would possibly look to place Marc Cucurella below stress. Munoz and Sarr have constructed a very good partnership down the Palace proper and look to have the sting over the Chelsea left-back each physcially and athletically.

The place is the sport? Chelsea will, I think about, do what any facet confronted with a again three ought to attempt to do: goal the house behind the wing-backs and down the edges of the centre-backs. Because it occurs, Munoz and Mitchell have the legs to get again in, but when they're overloaded with the full-backs, they received't discover it simple.

I additionally count on Chelsea to win the midfield numbers sport, however Palace's formation nearly invitations them to – the query actually is how they cope in transition, as a result of Eze, Sarr and Mateta shall be primed for precisely that section and, with Adam Wharton seeking to feed them, there's each likelihood they get some pleasure. I'm additionally sure Jean-Philippe Mateta will look to isolate Acheampong and get into him bodily, whereas additionally working channels.

So what of Eze? Taking the cash out of it for a second, a part of me wonders why he's leaving. If he was going to one of many high golf equipment to problem for the large pots, honest sufficient. However at Spurs, he'll get one season of Champions League, most likely no extra, and maybe a Cup run, whereas if he stays, he may turn into Palace's biggest participant. If he was three years youthful, honest sufficient, he may go to Tottenham then depart, however at 27, that is it for him, and I'm undecided what he's getting beats what he's leaving.

In any other case, a normal rule of thumb is that to win the title, a crew wants three or 4 gamers who're among the many finest round, I don't see that at Chelsea, who've plenty of good gamers however not many – if any – particular ones. After all, they've a number of who can develop into that, I simply can't see them having extra factors than everybody else after 38 video games, even with out the summer time workload.

I'm actually trying ahead to seeing how Andrey Santos, Jorrel Hato, Tyrique Georrge and Esteêvão develop because the season progresses. However the XI that begin immediately is save the centre-back state of affairs, Maresca's finest. So, is it ok to win the title?

My sense, fairly emphatically, is not any. I've not forgotten the state of Maresca's soccer via a lot of final season. Particularly, his satisfaction with how they performed in dropping at Arsenal was troubling – they went a purpose down early and barely bothered to strive retrieving it, passing backwards and sideways to retain possession that didn't threaten the opposition purpose. So when, at full-time, Maresca steered all was high quality, I checked in with my uncle, a season-ticket holder at Stamford Bridge, who complained that it's at all times like that – no danger and no zest.

And whereas I do, we've additionally go this happening for you:

Anyroad up, I'll write these groups down, then we'll surprise what they imply.

Headline Palace information: Eze begins, which suggests the cope with Spurs has stalled. In any other case, Will Hughes replaces Daichi Kamada, however they're in any other case unchanged from the facet which received the Group Defend.

He admits its's been troublesome with the quick break however says it's been an excellent break. In any other case, he hopes to have Tosin for the subsequent sport, and within the meantime is certain Acheampong can enhance. It was a troublesome however good option to make between Pedro and Delap, however there'll be loads of video games for each.

Although he's spent huge on strikers and received't complain if one scores 30 objectives, the crew are set as much as share them round, with all gamers given licence to get entangled within the place.

Let's begin with Chelsea, for whom the headline information is the presence of the 19-year-old Josh Acheampong within the centre of their defence following the intense damage sustained by Levi Colwill and within the absence of Tosin. That's an enormous vote of confidence for him – much less so for Wesley Fofana, left on the bench.

In any other case, it's João Pedro up entrance, with Liam Delap on the bench, however right here's Maresca so let's go to him and are available bac kto what he's executed.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; James, Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo; Neto, Palmer, Gittens; João Pedro. Subs: Jorgensen, Gusto, Fofana, Hato, Essugo, Andrey Santos, Estevão, George, Delap.

Crystal Palace (3-4-3): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Sarr, Mateta, Eze. Subs: Benitez, Clyne, Sosa, Cardines, Devenny, Rak-Sakyi, Lerma, Esse, Edouard.

Completely satisfied new season every person – aside from our groups immediately, the final one by no means actually ended, and for the very best causes.

Chelsea completed its home side in kind that was simply ok, qualifying for the Champions League and maybe saving Enzo Maresca's job within the course of. After that, although, issues actually received going.

It's simple to say that Chelsea had been becoming winners of the primary Membership World Cup, bringing collectively, because it did, geopolitics posing as sport, Saudi cash, US imperialism, far-right dictatorship, and ersatz, synthetic status. But it surely's unlikely the gamers are giving this any thought, as an alternative captured by their rising sense of mission: an entity that after seemed atomised, incoherent and disconnected has since fused right into a definitive complete, the crew safe within the information that they'll out-think, out-play and out-fight the most effective crew on the earth in a giant remaining. They'll really feel invincible.

However so too will Palace, their gamers and supervisor already legends and the 2 biggest video games of their historical past the final two they've performed. It isn't simply that they beat Manchester Metropolis to win the FA Cup, their first trophy, then Liverpool to win the Group Defend, their second, although they did. It is usually that they did each in dramatic, affirming, inspirational method, delivering a buzz to maintain all concerned for the remainder of their lives. They'll really feel invincible.

Life being life, although, with triumphs comes pitfalls. By the point Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain in mid-July, their rivals had had a month or so off and already began pre-season, an unhealthy and borderline barbaric state of affairs that can absolutely precise a toll sooner or later. The psychological and bodily stress of elite-level sport is actual, not one thing that may or must be overridden with cash, glory and team-spirt. There's a debt to pleasure and of their case it will likely be fatigue – the one query is when it hits and the way they handle it.

Palace, in the meantime, are victims of their very own success. Eberechi Eze, their finest participant, seems prone to depart for Spurs, whereas Marc Guêhi, their captain, may properly be off to Liverpool. With below two weeks left within the switch window, merely changing them shall be troublesome, by no means thoughts changing them with gamers of equal skill, and even when that occurs, these gamers will want nurturing and moulding – or, in different phrases, relatively than construct on their achievements to get higher, it's extra seemingly they're poised worsen. There's a debt to pleasure and of their case it will likely be pillaging – the one query is how they mitigate it.

All of which makes this an absolute banger of an opening-weekend fixture. Deliver it on!

Kick-off: 2pm BST