DomainJava.com – Crystal Palace vs Chelsea prediction in Premier League match, Chelsea will look to improve on their poor end to 2024 when they travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace in their first Premier League match of the new year on Saturday.
Enzo Maresca's men lost their last two matches of the year so they dropped down the standings and are far behind leaders Liverpool.
After eight straight wins following the November international break, Chelsea are now winless in three games, including two heavy defeats to Fulham and Ipswich Town.
The Blues failed to beat Everton in their final game before Christmas, and went on to concede a 95th-minute winner to Fulham at Stamford Bridge, handing Ipswich their first win at Portman Road in the top flight.
Manager Maresca claims that he expected a result like this to happen eventually, and it may prove fatal to their slim chances of winning the title, with Chelsea now down to fourth and 10 points behind Liverpool at the top, having also played a game more. Lots.
Ipswich's performance in particular will be a concern, dominating possession and shots, but very rarely looking threatening, as the Tractor Boys won 2-0.
Having also failed to score at Everton, Chelsea now face going three consecutive away league games without a goal for the first time in almost six years, the last time they did so under previous Italian manager Maurizio Sarri.
Defeat could also knock them out of the top four, if Newcastle United is able to beat Tottenham Hotspur with a narrow goal difference.
Desperate to return to top form, Palace could be an ideal opponent for Chelsea, given they have won on 12 of their 15 Premier League visits to Selhurst Park – the joint-highest win ratio any team has achieved against any other side in the Premier League at the moment. make at least 10 trips.
A 1-1 draw between the two in September ended Chelsea's 14-game winning streak in this fixture, but Palace have not avoided losing both games against the Blues in a season dating back to before the Premier League era.
Palace have never been beaten by a club more times in the Premier League than Chelsea, losing on 24 previous occasions, but their recent form gives hope that they can change that.
After losing five and not winning their first eight league games of the season, Oliver Glasner's side have now lost just two of their last 11 games.
However, both defeats came at home in the London derby (against Fulham and Arsenal), which does not bode well for this match.
The 2-1 win over Southampton last time out was their second win in 10 home league games this season, with too many draws limiting their progress in the table, where they are currently in 15th place, still only five points clear of troubled team.
After this clash and their FA Cup efforts, Palace will face Leicester City, West Ham United, Manchester United and out-of-form Everton, as well as notorious visitors Brentford in their next five games, so the coming weeks will be to be crucial to the Eagles' season.
Palace will be able to welcome back club captain and former Chelsea youth graduate Marc Guehi, after he missed the win over Southampton through suspension last week.
However, Adam Wharton is unlikely to return, as the England international is still out with a groin problem.
However, despite Wharton's absence, Palace's side have been very solid, with Will Hughes and Jefferson Lerma performing well as a midfield pairing, and Ismaila Sarr adding plenty of threat in attack.
Maresca used the trip to Ipswich to give Conference League players Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix and Filip Jorgensen a chance, but after a painful defeat, the Chelsea boss will return to the line-up that has featured throughout December.
Jorgensen committed the penalty foul that put Ipswich ahead, so Robert Sanchez will return, along with Nicolas Jackson and Pedro Neto, who were both also absent in the defeat at Portman Road.
Reece James returned to the squad last week but did not come off the bench, while Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile remain absent at the back.
Crystal Palace vs Chelsea Player Predictions
Crystal Palace : Henderson; Chalobah, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Hughes, Lerma, Mitchell; Sarr, Mateta, Eze
Chelsea: Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Enzo, Caicedo; Pedro Neto, Palmer, Sancho; jackson
SCORE PREDICTION Crystal Palace vs Chelsea: 1-2
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