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Dec 16, 2023 · Chelsea returned to winning ways with a hard-fought victory over a dogged Sheffield United at Stamford Bridge. The Blues, beaten by Manchester United and Everton in their past two games, broke...
Dec 16, 2023 · Chelsea secured a rare home victory as they beat Sheffield United 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon. After a turgid first half, Mauricio Pochettino’s side improved in the second...
Aug 25, 2024 · Noni Madueke apologised for his social media post about Wolverhampton after netting a quickfire hat-trick in the second half as Chelsea hammered Wolves 6-2 for their first win of the 2024/25...
- Patrick Rowe
- August 25, 2024
- Overview
- How Chelsea left it late to pick off Palace again
- Pochettino tells team: Think less!
- Hodgson: We deserved at least a point
- Madueke saves Christmas for Chelsea
- How did Nkunku play on his full PL debut?
- Palace's winless run continues - Opta stats
Substitute Noni Madueke struck an 89th-minute penalty to send Chelsea back into the top half of the Premier League table with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.
The pressure was mounting on Mauricio Pochettino following a fourth straight away Premier League defeat at Wolves on Christmas Eve, but VAR Chris Kavanagh spotted a foul by Eberechi Eze on Madueke inside the box, allowing the youngster to dispatch a late winner from the spot.
Mykhailo Mudryk's early opener (13) was cancelled out by one-time Chelsea target Michael Olise on the stroke of half-time (45+1), before Nicolas Jackson's strike from Thiago Silva's deflected cross was ruled out by VAR.
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Gary Cotterill and Ben Grounds give their verdict on Chelsea's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
•How the teams lined up | Match stats
Image: Mykhailo Mudryk celebrates his opening goal
Chelsea needed this. For so long during the second half, it looked like they had ran out of ideas, and it was Palace who offered the threat of a winner after the excellent Olise underlined just why Chelsea tracked him earlier this year.
Christopher Nkunku showed a glimpse of his potential with his consolation goal at Molineux, and the striker signed for £58m from RB Leipzig underlined his huge promise with his involvement in the opener.
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Image: Mauricio Pochettino watches on from the sidelines
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino:
"We didn't start well. We were a little bit nervous and struggled to manage the pressure of a game that was really important for us. For a young team, we were thinking too much. I told them to stop thinking so much at half-time. We moved so slow from the beginning but then had the chances to score.
"I wasn't happy we conceded in the last minute of the first half and it had a massive impact. We started to then play a little bit more and I'm so happy because the players from the bench had an impact. It's important for the future.
"We need the players from the bench to be at their best.
Image: Conor Gallagher shows frustration as Chelsea push forward
Image: Michael Olise scored the equaliser for Palace
Crystal Palace have conceded the first goal in 25 Premier League games in 2023, the most of any side. In fact, the last three occasions a team has conceded first in 25+ games in a year have been the Eagles (26 in 2016, 27 in 2017 and 25 this year).
Palace boss Hodgson said: "I thought we played really well and did enough to win the three points. They cut through us once or twice and in the second half I thought there was more action around their penalty area than ours. You have to convert those half opportunities into goals, otherwise you run the risk of getting something up the other end."
On the relegation picture, he added: "I'm not frightened to death of the relegation zone as it doesn't matter to me at this stage of the season. What bothers me is the 38 games. This team, and the way we've played the last four games - Liverpool, Man City, Brighton and Chelsea - decent teams - we've matched them up and it gives me great hope and heart for the future.
Image: Noni Madueke converts a penalty to restore Chelsea's lead against Crystal Palace
Sky Sports' Ben Grounds at Stamford Bridge:
"Mauricio Pochettino said this was a game his side simply could not lose. They had to do it the hard way. They've missed too many big chances this season - more than any other Premier League side - and they missed more here. Jackson, again, the fall guy.
"It had looked like being another frustrating outing for Pochettino's side for most of the second half. But the charismatic Argentine looked to his bench, as he so often has, rummaged in his bag, and picked out Madueke. Ask many Chelsea fans and they will tell you he should have started. But he made his point.
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Mauricio Pochettino hails the importance of mentality after his young Chelsea side beat Crystal Palace late on in the Premier League.
Image: Christopher Nkunku controls the ball against Crystal Palace
There was a fluency about Chelsea in the first half that has rarely been seen in recent weeks. Nkunku on his long-awaited first start was at the heart of things. Fresh from his role in the opening goal, he played a wonderful ball in for Jackson, whose low drive was aimed fractionally wide of Henderson's far post.
The France international might then have had his first Stamford Bridge goal after 25 minutes had he not kicked the turf when clean through on goal, under pressure from defender Chris Richards.
Chelsea were industrious with the ball, racking up 323 passes during the first half and recording 63 per cent possession and - unlike on so many other occasions this campaign - they had created gilt-edged chances to go with it.
Nkunku started in the No 10 position but showed his versatility by drifting to the right when Gallagher was asked to play in a more advanced midfield role. It made him less effective with his natural tendency to drift inside, but what will please Chelsea fans is that he came through his first start unscathed, completing 71 minutes before being withdrawn ahead of the late drama.
Pochettino said on Nkunku's display: "We need to repeat the volume of action much more. We need him to be more involved but it is normal. It was his first 60-70 minutes so it is normal he got tired but he is adapting to the team."
Image: Nicolas Jackson hangs his head after missing a chance
•Crystal Palace are winless in their last eight Premier League matches (D3 L5), their longest run without a win under Roy Hodgson since an eight-game stretch in June and July 2020.
•Chelsea's winning penalty scored by Noni Madueke was only their third winning Premier League goal via a penalty as late as the 89th minute, along with two 90th minute penalties scored by Mark Stein (February 1994 vs Spurs) and Jorginho (December 2021 vs Leeds).
•Chelsea manager Maurico Pochettino has now won 10 consecutive Premier League matches against Crystal Palace, while his 12 wins overall against Palace are his most against an opponent. It was his sixth win against Roy Hodgson, only winning as many games against Eddie Howe (also six).
Oct 20, 2024 · Chelsea win the ball early on in the second half, and catch the Reds sleeping, with Jackson beating van Dijk and Robertson to score what originally looked offside.
Sep 28, 2021 · Our no.9 headed in goal no.12 from a corner for a personal five goals on the night and there he would stick. Baldwin completed his second-half hat-trick with the last kick of the game and Chelsea had won 13-0. Those had come from a huge 54 goal attempts, five of which hit the post or crossbar.
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