Chelsea FC – Crystal Palace
The ball does not rest on the island. The Premier League will of course continue over the holidays and the second part of matchday 19 is scheduled for the day after Boxing Day. There are three clashes on Wednesday, including Chelsea FC against Crystal Palace. Find out who has the better cards in this game and who will come out on top in our Chelsea – Crystal Palace betting tip.
The team from Stamford Bridge lost their away game at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Christmas Eve. The team is still stuck in the middle of the table and is looking to catch up. A home win would be just what the Blues need to perhaps attack again in the new year.
Crystal Palace are not far away from Stamford Bridge. The stadiums of the two London clubs are just twelve kilometers apart as the crow flies. They are only four points behind Chelsea, but are closer to the dangerous relegation zone. The Eagles shared the points with Brighton on the last matchday and will be looking to take at least something worthwhile from Chelsea as well
Chelsea – Crystal Palace info
- Date & Time: 27.12.2023, 20:30 hrs.
- Venue: Stamfort Bridge, London
- Competition: Premier League, Matchday 19
- TV broadcast: Sky
Chelsea Form & Balance Check
The Blues’ form in the Premier League in recent weeks has been mixed. In addition to the two wins against Brighton and Sheffield Wednesday, Chelsea have also suffered three defeats in December. Most recently, coach Mauricio Pochettino’s team lost 2:1 against Wolverhampton.
With 22 points after 18 games, the team is currently in tenth place and the international places are a distant memory. They are already twelve points behind Man City, who are currently in fifth place and therefore occupy the last qualifying spot for an international competition. It is therefore all the more important that Chelsea do their homework better and come away victorious in home games such as against Crystal Palace
Lost in no man’s land
The defeat at Wolves means Chelsea are still stuck in mediocrity and are not getting anywhere at the moment. Mediocrity has been a common thread throughout the season, as the Blues have not finished in single figures once this season. S
nstead, the team is in no-man’s land in the table, slipping back and forth between tenth and 15th place. There is a lack of consistency and individual mistakes are piling up. One ray of hope is the recovery of Christopher Nkunku, who made his league debut against Wolverhampton on Christmas Eve and scored the equalizer straight away, albeit too late.
Chelsea facts & analysis
- Tenth place in the table
- Recently two wins and three defeats from five games
- Only three home wins from nine league games
Crystal Palace form & record check
Crystal Palace are under pressure, having not won in seven games for manager Roy Hodgson’s side. Their record from the last four games is two draws and two defeats. However, The Eagles did manage to snatch points from Manchester Citizens in a 2-2 away draw on the penultimate matchday.
The team also put in a decent performance against Liverpool on the previous matchday and even took a 1-0 lead before attacker Jordan Ayew picked up a yellow card and Palace were unable to withstand the Reds’ pressure for the final quarter of an hour while short-handed. Palace are currently in 15th place, six points clear of the relegation places. Before the New Year, the team still have to play Brentford, who are currently 14th with one point more
Stronger away than at home
The performance gap between home and away games is particularly noticeable at Crystal Palace this season. While the team is in second-last place in the home table with just one home win, they have already picked up three wins and three draws away from home.
Coach Hodgson’s side have only lost once in their last four away games and will be looking to take something away from Chelsea FC. Their last and only home win was a 3-2 victory against Wolverhampton on matchday 4, a few months ago
Crystal Palace facts & analysis
- 15th place in the table
- Last two draws in a row
- Goal ratio of 18:26
Predicted line-up – last update on December 26, 2023
Coach Pochettino has to make changes in a few positions compared to the last game. Both Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling are out with yellow cards. In the 4-5-1 system, Christopher Nkunku and Mykhailo Mudryk could play from the start. There is still a question mark over Lesley Ugochukwu.
Crystal Palace will play with a 4-3-3 formation. We expect a similar formation as against Brighton in the last game. Only Jeffrey Schlupp is expected to return to the starting line-up on the wing. Striker Ayew returned from suspension in the penultimate game against Brighton with his 1-0 goal and will be looking to score again against Chelsea
Chelsea – Crystal Palace head-to-head & stats
Both teams have faced each other 43 times in their club history. Chelsea have won significantly more often, coming out on top in 28 of those matches. Crystal Palace have only beaten the Blues six times. What’s more, Crystal Palace’s last victory came 13 matches ago. The last meeting between the two clubs was on matchday 20 of last season and went 1-0 to Chelsea. The first meeting was back in 1969, when the teams drew 1-1
- Crystal Palace’s last win was in 2017
- Chelsea have won their last twelve games
- The highest scoring game was a 6-2 win for the Blues in 1998
