Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca is remaining composed despite a recent dip in form, including a 2-0 defeat to Ipswich Town in their last match of 2024. With the team currently sitting in fourth place in the Premier League, Maresca acknowledges that such setbacks are inevitable over the course of a long season. The defeat to Ipswich Town marked Chelsea’s third consecutive match without a win, but Maresca is focused on guiding his side to a positive response when they face Crystal Palace on Saturday at Selhurst Park.
Chelsea, though not in the title race at this stage, is still well-positioned in the league standings. They trail Liverpool by 10 points but hold a three-point lead over fifth-place Newcastle. While few pundits predicted Chelsea’s current position earlier in the season, Maresca believes this progress shows they are on the right track. However, he also admits that there is still work to be done if they are to compete consistently with the top teams in England, stressing that improvement is necessary for Chelsea to maintain their place among the Premier League elite.
One player who has shown significant growth this season is Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze. After a rocky start, including a disallowed goal against Brentford earlier in the campaign, Eze has bounced back impressively. He scored the match-winner in Palace’s 1-0 victory over Southampton, a goal that helped him regain confidence and relief after several close attempts that had failed to materialize. Palace manager Oliver Glasner expressed his satisfaction with Eze’s resurgence, noting how pleased he was with the young forward's perseverance.
Eze’s ambitions remain high as he aims to make history by scoring against Chelsea both home and away this season. If successful, he would become the first Palace player to achieve this feat since George Whitworth back in the 1924-25 season. Eze’s performance this season has certainly been a bright spot for Palace, but they will need more from their squad to overcome Chelsea in this upcoming match.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer has been one of their standout performers this season. With 12 goals and six assists, Palmer is among the Premier League’s top contributors. His impressive form has been crucial to Chelsea's attacking play, and the team will be counting on him to lead the charge against Crystal Palace. Chelsea’s historical record against Palace is strong, with the Blues winning 12 of their last 15 away games against the Eagles in the Premier League. However, despite their past dominance, Chelsea has endured a slight slump in recent weeks, including back-to-back defeats in their last two league matches. The last time Chelsea lost consecutive games was between April and May of 2023, during Frank Lampard’s interim tenure.
Palace, meanwhile, managed to secure a 1-1 draw against Chelsea earlier this season, ending a long stretch of 13 consecutive Premier League losses to the Blues. This draw gave the Eagles a sense of accomplishment, as they have struggled against Chelsea for decades. The last time Palace avoided defeat in both league meetings with Chelsea was in the 1991-92 season. However, despite Palace’s improvement in recent weeks, they have still struggled with consistency, having lost five of their first eight matches this season. Since then, they have managed to improve, losing only two of their last eleven matches.
According to Opta statistics, Chelsea has a 48.2% chance of winning this weekend's match, while Crystal Palace’s probability stands at 27.5%. The chance of a draw is estimated at 24.3%. Despite their recent struggles, Chelsea remains confident in their ability to secure victory against Palace, especially considering their strong past record in this fixture. Palace’s own recent history in opening league matches hasn’t been promising, as they have lost all their London derby fixtures in the past three years by an aggregate score of 12-2.
Saturday’s match at Selhurst Park will be another crucial test for both teams. For Chelsea, a victory will be important in order to maintain their position in the top four and keep pace with the teams above them. For Crystal Palace, they will be hoping to continue their recent improvements and take a step towards climbing further up the table. Maresca and his players will be looking to bounce back from their recent setbacks and prove they are still contenders for European qualification, while Palace will look to build on their recent form and potentially create a new challenge for Chelsea.
With both teams eager to build momentum, Saturday’s London derby promises to be an exciting encounter that could have significant implications for both clubs as they continue their respective campaigns.
