Two clubs based in different parts of South London meet just after Sunday lunch as a buoyant Chelsea side host surprise early strugglers Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. The hosts unleashed a ruthless side rarely seen in recent years in the Premier League when thumping Wolves 6-2 at Molineux at the weekend, while Palace are yet to get off the mark, succumbing to a 2-0 defeat to West Ham.
This fixture would have looked awkward for the Blues during the second half of last season, but they are now sturdy 8/13 favourites with William Hill to come out on top, with Oliver Glasner’s men at 9/2, though a general 4/1.
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace Tips
Tip #1 – Half Time/Full Time Draw/Chelsea @ 4/1 with bet365 and William Hill
Chelsea enjoyed a phenomenal second half against Wolves, adding four goals, including a Noni Madueke hat-trick to record Enzo Maresca’s first official victory in style. However, having suffered a much damper 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on the opening day, they remain one of the hardest Premier League teams to predict.
The second half opened up almost comically against Wolves at times, and they even lost the match on xG figures, with Wolves creating better chances throughout the game on that metric. That does not detract from Chelsea’s impressive, clinical finishing, and they deserved the win, but they will meet a Palace side knowing they are underdogs, unlike what may have been the case last week. Glasner’s expansive football, seen towards the end of 2023/24, may have to wait as it has been a summer of turmoil at Selhurst Park, but they may well dig in and test Chelsea’s patient approach. Nevertheless, the Stamford Bridge outfit have a remarkable record in this fixture, winning the last 13 in all competitions, and may grind it out in the second half if it has been tight beforehand.
Tip #2 – Time of First Goal 41-50 Mins @ 15/2 with bet365
A goal fest this is unlikely to be. Crystal Palace were slightly unlucky to return empty handed from their last trip to South West London at the Gtech Stadium, and they also enjoyed the lion’s share of possession against West Ham. However, they only recorded two shots on target during that match, and you would not expect too aggressive an approach to this contest after their shaky start.
Marc Guehi now looks set to remain with the Eagles, and Palace’s overall setup is solid enough to withstand a measured approach while being fierce on the counterattack through their wing backs, or star man Eberechi Eze. However, you would not expect them to get too many chances across the 90, while Chelsea grew in confidence at Molineux, being ruthless after the interval. It may either take the hosts a while to find their stride in the first half, or force them to be quicker to the draw in the second. Either way, the middle section of the game could be a deciding factor.
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Chelsea Performances So Far
The hesitant mood among the Stamford Bridge faithful may not be entirely quelled after one big win, but another here could go a long way to Maresca being afforded some breathing space. Their 6-2 triumph in the Midlands was deeply impressive and an excellent bounce back from a sallow 2-0 defeat at home to champions Manchester City.
Chelsea Results So Far
Sunday 18th August – Chelsea 0-2 Manchester City
Sunday 25th August – Wolves 2-6 Chelsea
Crystal Palace Performances So Far
It may be dramatic to say Oliver Glasner wishes he got the Bayern Munich job, as in a way, Palace got a lot of their transfer dealings done early. However, the losses of Michael Olise and Joachim Andersen have hit them hard so far, as they lost 2-1 at Brentford prior to a 2-0 reverse at home to West Ham. They did at least secure a comfortable 4-0 victory over Norwich in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.
Crystal Palace Results So Far
Sunday 18th August – Brentford 2-1 Crystal Palace
Saturday 24th August – Crystal Palace 0-2 West Ham
Tuesday 27th August – Crystal Palace 4-0 Norwich (League Cup)
