Chelsea moved into the Champions League places with a 3-1 win over out-of-form Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, punishing the hosts’ mistakes and underlining the difference in cutting edge between the sides. Estevao, Joao Pedro and Enzo Fernandez were on target for Liam Rosenior’s team, who climbed to fourth in the Premier League and continued their upward trajectory.
Chris Richards’ late header denied Robert Sanchez a clean sheet, but by then Chelsea were in complete control. Estevao’s ruthless opener, Pedro’s precise finish early in the second half and Fernandez’s penalty after a VAR review had already done the damage, while Adam Wharton’s red card ended any realistic hope of a Palace comeback as Oliver Glasner’s winless run stretched to 11 games.
Palace’s promising start undone by Estevao’s ruthlessness
This was Glasner’s first return to Selhurst Park since announcing that he will leave at the end of the season and speaking about feeling ‘abandoned’ following the sale of captain Marc Guehi on the eve of the previous game. Despite that uneasy backdrop, Palace actually began brightly, intent on offering some kind of response to their manager and supporters after a difficult period.