Premier League Review – Crystal Palace 0-3 Chelsea

Match Facts

• Date – 3rd January 2016
• Venue – Selhurst Park
• Attendance – 24,854
• Referee – Kevin Friend
• Bookings – Damien Delaney, Mile Jedinak, Scott Dann
• Goals – Oscar (28), Willian (60), Costa (65)
• Star Eagle – Wilfried Zaha (7.1)

Match Review

Crystal Palace’s six game unbeaten run came to an end as an improved Chelsea side inflicted Alan Pardew’s injury-hit side to a 3-0 defeat courtesy of goals from Oscar, Willian, Diego Costa.

The scoreline was slightly flattering for Guus Hiddink’s side as Palace played well in the first half, but it was a case of Chelsea scoring at vital points in the game which condemned the Eagles to a disappointing defeat.

Palace came into the game with a host of key players missing through injury and suspension. Yannick Bolasie, Connor Wickham, and Dwight Gayle were all injured while Yohan Cabaye received an unfortunate booking in the last game against Swansea City.

It was Cabaye who Palace missed the most, while Mile Jedinak battled well, he just does not have the same quality on the ball as the Frenchman.

Palace did start brightly as Pardew opted for a slightly different set-up to that of previous weeks as Wilfried Zaha pushed forward as much as possible to join Frazier Campbell up front.

Zaha whistled a shot past Thibuat Courtois’s post early doors and with Jason Puncheon and Chung-Yong Lee supporting the two strikers, Palace were finding space. As has been the case so often at home, the killer ball was just not arriving. When one did, Campbell could not adjust himself in time as Puncheon curled in an inch perfect cross but the striker got his feet all wrong and ballooned it wide.

Just after Campbell missed that glorious chance, Oscar put Chelsea in front after Cesc Fabregas found Diego Costa down the flank who squared the ball for the easiest of chances. It was harsh on Palace as they had up until that point had the majority of the game. Even though Chelsea are in a sticky predicament, they have players that are still capable of producing the sublime.

Palace needed to switch things up at half-time, but Pardew decided against it and with the injuries at the moment the bench was not the strongest. Marouane Chamakh is still not fully fit and Bakary Sako had only trained for two days after returning from injury.

The Eagles never really got going in the second half, and yet again Chelsea scored at the wrong time for Palace. Take nothing away from Willian, the goal to put Chelsea in the driving seat was rather special. The ball fell to the Brazilian just outside the box, and without hesitation Willian thumped the ball in the top corner with nonchalent ease. It was a superb goal which effectively sealed the points for Hiddink’s side.

After Chelsea’s second, the rest of the game was largely a non-event as far as Palace were concerned. Chamakh came on to replace Campbell, Joe Ledley came on for Jedinak but probably the best moment of a poor game was the return of Jonny Williams.

Costa added a harsh third, and the final nail in the coffin for Palace. Again, it was another rather simple goal for the Spaniard.

Palace should not be too down after this result. With the spate of injuries, it was always going to be tough, but if Palace made better use of their early pressure it may have been a slightly different afternoon.

Player Ratings (courtesy of Who Scored)

• Wayne Hennessey (5.5) – It was tough on Hennessey as all three goals were hard to save. The first two he did not get anywhere near, and you could say he may have done better with the third but that is football sometimes.
• Joel Ward (5.9) – It was not a vintage performance but the whole back line struggled today. He defended when he had to but struggled going forward.
• Scott Dann (6.6) – Out of the four defenders, he was the one that shone. As always, he has a sixth sense when it comes to danger but in the opposing box he never really had an opportunity to grab a goal.
• Damien Delaney (6.1) – He did not control Diego Costa like he did at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, the early yellow card restricted him for the rest of the game, but still put in a decent shift.
• Pape Souare (5.9) – Going forward everything he normally does well was poor. His crossing never found the mark. A case of forget this one and move on.
• James McArthur (6.8) – It was another battling performance from the Scottish international. He battled well with Jedinak but the midfield lacked creativity.
• Mile Jedinak (6.3) – The skipper was a physical presence in the centre of the field, but as we know his passing is not up to the level of Cabaye. Replaced by Joe Ledley (6.2) on 67 minutes who put in a shift late on when the game was already gone.
• Jason Puncheon (6.9) – Puncheon had a few moments, but nothing seemed to come off. Delivered a peach of a ball for Campbell in the first half which could have potentially swung the game in a different direction.
• Chung-Yong Lee (6.7) –  Again Chungy did not really inspire. He is neat on the ball but could not find a killer pass or produce something special when we needed it most. Replaced by Jonny Williams (6.0) on 80 minutes and it was great to see the academy graduate back at Selhurst. Showed slimpses of what he could bring to the side and hopefully he will be given a chance.
• Wilfried Zaha (7.1) – He was certainly our best player, looked to make things happen in the final third but he has to add that final ball to his game. There were times when a better ball could have led to a clearer chance.
• Frazier Campbell (6.1) – Campbell tries so hard but it just does not quite come off for the former Manchester United striker. It could be the last we see of Campbell. Replaced by Marouane Chamakh (6.1) on 67 minutes in another chance to build fitness.

Unused substitutes – Alex McCarthy, Bakary Sako, Jordan Mutch, Martin Kelly

Match Statistics

The Who Scored man of the match was Diego Costa (8.70 ). Jason Puncheon (3) had the most shots. Cesar Azpilicueta (7) made the most tackles. Wilfried Zaha (5) had the most dribbles.

• Team rating: 6.27 – 7.43
• Total shots: 8-10
• Shots on target: 4-4
• Possession: 47.3% – 52.7%
• Pass success: 73% – 82%
• Dribbles: 9-10
• Tackles: 17-23
• Corners: 5-7
• Dispossessed: 9-9

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