Palace's Struggles Won't Hand Chelsea an Easy Afternoon at Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace are going through the mill right now. An embarrassing FA Cup exit to non-league Macclesfield, manager Oliver Glasner departing at season's end, and the loss of skipper Marc Guehi to Manchester City have left the Eagles in a precarious state. Throw in the summer departure of Eberechi Eze and you've got a club spiralling.

Perched in 13th place might look respectable on paper, but Palace haven't found the back of the net in their last ten matches across all competitions. It's grim reading at Selhurst Park.

Chelsea, meanwhile, haven't exactly been dazzling under Liam Rosenoir, yet a kind fixture list has gifted the new boss three wins from his opening four games. A 2-0 victory over Brentford in his Premier League debut—despite being second best for stretches—was followed by wins against Charlton in the cup and a 1-0 triumph in Cyprus against Pafos.

How to Watch

Sunday's clash kicks off at 14:00 GMT at Selhurst Park, with Sky Sports Premier League providing live coverage from 13:00. Radio 5 Sports Extra will have full commentary.

Palace's Team News

Glasner gets a lift with the returns of Ismaila Sarr, who's just helped Senegal win the Africa Cup of Nations in dramatic fashion, and wing-back Daniel Munoz following injury recovery. Jean-Philippe Mateta has endured transfer speculation but Glasner confirmed the French striker will feature on Sunday. In a significant development, goalkeeper Dean Henderson will assume the captaincy for the remainder of the season following Guehi's departure.

Expected Palace XI (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Lerma; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Johnson, Pino; Mateta.

Chelsea's Injury Update

Cole Palmer should slot back into the starting eleven after missing the Pafos fixture with thigh tightness. A virus has circulated through the Chelsea camp recently, but Enzo Fernandez, Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian have all recovered. Reserve keeper Filip Jorgensen won't be available after picking up a knock against Pafos.

Expected Chelsea XI (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Estevao, Palmer, Neto; Joao Pedro.

The Numbers Tell a Story

Palace haven't beaten Chelsea in 16 Premier League meetings, though the last three have ended in draws—including a goalless stalemate at Stamford Bridge earlier this season. Chelsea have failed to score in just one of their 16 away league visits to Selhurst Park, a 1-0 defeat back in March 2014. Palace have managed three clean sheets in their last 34 league fixtures against the Blues.

Only Burnley's 13-game run exceeds Palace's current seven-match winless streak in the league. Glasner's side have dropped 39 points from winning positions since his arrival—only three teams have been worse. Chelsea won their first game under Rosenoir; Graham Potter was the last Blues boss to win his first two, back in October 2022.

In London derbies since 2022-23, only Arsenal have accumulated more Premier League points than Chelsea's 73, while Palace have collected just 45—only West Ham have managed fewer with 38. At home, six of Palace's last seven Selhurst Park league goals have come from Mateta, with the seventh an own goal by Nathan Collins.

The Verdict

Palace are under serious pressure with just two points from their last seven outings and their captain gone. However, Glasner has held clearing-the-air talks with chairman Steve Parish following the Guehi fallout, and that reset could inject some life into the camp after a torrid spell.

There's a nagging sense that Chelsea are getting away with it under Rosenoir. Historically lopsided as this fixture has been, the trend has shifted—three consecutive draws suggest this isn't the banker many assume. A draw at 14/5 looks shrewder than Chelsea at even money. Mateta, given the green light by his manager, could be instrumental in salvaging a point for the hosts at 9/5 to score anytime.