On a day of celebration at the Bridge, Chelsea encountered a stubborn Crystal Palace side and a slice of arcane officiating, emerging with a 0–0 that felt like two points dropped. The champions of the world, still shaking off a compressed pre-season, found energy from the bench and finished on top, but the decisive touch never arrived.

If there was frustration, there were also foundations. Robert Sánchez’s handling was secure, the new structure tightened after the interval, and the debutant trio of Estêvão Willian, Liam Delap and Andrey Santos changed the feel of the contest. The chemistry will come; the clean sheet and late territorial control were early-season markers to bank.

A rare law spares an early sting but exposes a slow start

Stamford Bridge heard the net ripple on 13 minutes, only for VAR to intervene. Eberechi Eze’s free-kick was chalked off when Marc Guéhi was judged within one metre of the wall at the moment of strike — an obscure 2019 addition finally enforced. It was the correct call by the book and an important reprieve on an afternoon when Chelsea began below tempo.

Even with that escape, the first half belonged to Palace’s press. Without Levi Colwill and with Tosin Adarabioyo unavailable, a reshaped back line took time to find its angles out. Josh Acheampong’s baptism was steep; misplaced first-phase passes fed Palace’s counters and asked Sánchez to be busy at critical moments.

Bench sparks: Estêvão stretches them, Delap pins them, Santos drives them

Maresca’s changes reset the rhythm. Estêvão immediately carried at Tyrick Mitchell, flashing one effort over but, more importantly, pulling Palace’s block wider. Delap’s runs across the line added a reference point; his late volley was on target, Henderson equal to it.

Santos arrived to punch passes through midfield and arrive in the box, side-footing over in stoppage time from Chelsea’s best move. The volume tilted: 19 attempts, repeat entries into the area, and a sense of the automatisms Maresca wants beginning to appear even if the payoff moment stayed elusive.

An expensive attack still finding its timing

Cole Palmer drifted to connect but was often met by red shirts; João Pedro worked tirelessly to create pockets but lacked clean looks; Jamie Gittens’ debut on the left ran into Daniel Muñoz’s tight marking. The post-interval reconfiguration helped, yet the decision-making on the final action is where the next gains must come.

Context matters here: a 13-day pre-season, multiple new faces to integrate, and injuries removing key build-up pieces. The positive is structural: Chelsea’s counter-press improved as the game wore on, Palace’s counters were largely funnelled into low-probability shots, and the platform for future wins looked sturdy.

Defensive bedrock and first-phase lessons

Sánchez’s positioning was assured, and Trevoh Chalobah’s recovery defending snuffed out two dangerous breaks. Marc Cucurella nearly crowned his afternoon with a goal, his early flicked header cleared off the line by a covering defender as the Bridge surged.

The flip side: without Colwill’s left-footed release and Tosin’s range, Chelsea’s exits were at times predictable. As minutes accrue and chemistry settles, those lanes should open; until then, game-state management and clean sheets keep the floor high.

Key Chelsea moments that told the story

03′ – Cucurella’s glanced header is hooked off the line. 13′ – VAR wipes out Eze’s free-kick for wall encroachment. 45′+ – Chalobah blazes over from close range as pressure grows.

65′–90′ – Estêvão and Delap lift the tempo; Delap’s volley is held by Henderson. 90′+ – Santos arrives late but side-foots over. The margins were fine; the direction of travel, positive.

What it means for the Blues

No fireworks, but signs. The structure tightened, the bench changed the picture, and the team ended stronger. With Colwill to return and more time on the grass, Maresca’s “slowly, slowly” promise should translate into sharper edges.

It may feel like two dropped, yet keep this defensive standard and add a fraction more clarity in the box and the points will come. For a first real outing of the campaign, the platform is there.