After their FIFA Club World Cup success, Chelsea will restart their domestic campaign this weekend when they take on Crystal Palace in a London derby.
Chelsea will resume their Premier League campaign on Saturday when they make the trip to Selhurst Park to take on London rivals Crystal Palace.
The Blues have not been involved in league action for nearly a month, with their last top-flight game ending in a 2-0 win over Tottenham in late January. Following that, Chelsea defeated Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup before winning the FIFA Club World Cup, defeating Brazilian giants Palmeiras in the final in the Middle East.
Chelsea’s chances of winning the league title are all but over, with leaders Manchester City 16 points clear of them, although they have played a game more. Thomas Tuchel’s side are seven points shy of second-placed Liverpool and will be aiming to close down that gap in the coming weeks, starting with a win on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace find themselves in the comforts of mid-table, as they sit in 13th position with 26 points from 24 games. The Eagles have lost just one of their last six games in all competitions. But they have drawn their previous two league matches against Norwich City and Brentford while not winning a single game in the competition since December – a run that Patrick Vieira will hope to end on Saturday.
The reverse fixture played on the opening matchday saw Chelsea cruise to a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace, with Marcos Alonso, Christian Pulisic and Trevoh Chalobah scoring. Ahead of their latest encounter, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams.
Team News & Tactics
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace will have to make do without main man Conor Gallagher, who will be ineligible to play against his parent club. However, they will be able to call upon Will Hughes, who has recovered from a knock he picked up against Brentford. Nathan Ferguson remains sidelined with an injury.
We're learning and growing ?#CPFC | #CRYCHE
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) February 18, 2022
Patrick Vieira will set his team up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of goalkeeper Vicente Guaita. Joachim Andersen should form the central defensive pairing alongside ex-Chelsea starlet Marc Guehi, while Joel Ward and Tyrick Mitchell line up as the full-backs. The duo is likely to stay back and help out the centre-halves without pushing forward much.
Will Hughes should occupy the base of the three-man midfield unit for the Eagles and look to provide added security in front of the defence. He will have support coming from Cheikhou Kouyate, who is likely to step into the side in place of Gallagher. Jeffrey Schlupp should be the third midfielder for the hosts.
Wilfried Zaha is a guaranteed starter on the left flank and will look to utilise his pace and close control to cause problems for the Chelsea defence. On the opposite wing, talented youngster Michael Olise could get the nod over Jordan Ayew, as Vieira could target the defensively susceptible Marcos Alonso. Odsonne Edouard should spearhead the attack for Crystal Palace.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Guaita; Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Kouyate, Hughes, Schlupp; Olise, Edouard, Zaha
Chelsea
Chelsea will continue to be without first-choice left-back Ben Chilwell, who is a long-term absentee. Fellow full-back Reece James is also an injury-enforced absentee, while Mason Mount is unlikely to be rushed back, given that the Blues have the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool coming up. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, meanwhile, has recovered from his injury and will be available for selection.
Thomas Tuchel will set his team up in his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation, with Edouard Mendy expected to get the nod in goal ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga. Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger should form the three-man backline. However, the manager might opt to go with Trevoh Chalobah if he opts for more pace in his defensive line, which could come in handy.
Back from Abu Dhabi and back to Cobham! ?
Our week recapped! ?
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 18, 2022
Captain Cesar Azpilicueta is a guaranteed starter as the right-sided wing-back, while his compatriot Marcos Alonso should slot in on the opposite wing. The pair will have the onus of providing width going forward but must be careful at the back against the threat of Zaha and Olise.
N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic should form the central midfield pairing, with the former providing the solidity and the latter adding the forward thrust from the middle. The creative responsibilities will fall on the shoulders of Hakim Ziyech, who will line up as one of the two attacking midfielders, alongside Kai Havertz, who scored the winning goal in the Club World Cup.
Romelu Lukaku, who is back among the goals, should be the man to spearhead the attack for Chelsea at Selhurst Park.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Mendy; Christensen, Silva, Rudiger; Azpilicueta, Kante, Kovacic, Alonso; Ziyech, Havertz; Lukaku
Key Stats
- None of the last 21 Premier League meetings between Crystal Palace and Chelsea have finished on level terms, with the Eagles winning four and Chelsea winning 17.
- Crystal Palace have won just one of their last 16 Premier League London derby matches (D8 L7), beating Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 at Selhurst Park earlier this season.
- Chelsea have won their last eight Premier League games against Crystal Palace.
- Crystal Palace have managed just two league wins in their past 13 fixtures and are winless in five.
- Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic has scored a career-best five goals in his five Premier League appearances against Crystal Palace, including three in two at Selhurst Park.
Player to Watch
Romelu Lukaku
Thomas Tuchel has called for more "patience" with #CFC striker Romelu Lukaku… pic.twitter.com/BFcCNmpbOb
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 18, 2022
After a period of tumult during which he made controversial statements and was subsequently axed by the manager from the starting XI, Romelu Lukaku is working his way back into the good books of the fans again. The Belgian international was crucial to Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup triumph as he scored in the semi-finals and the final against Al-Hilal and Palmeiras respectively.
Lukaku is two short of 200 career league goals. He boasts an impressive record against Crystal Palace, having scored eight goals in 12 Premier League matches so far. He will be hoping to add to that tally and reach another career milestone on Saturday while helping Chelsea to a crucial victory.
Prediction
Crystal Palace 1-2 Chelsea
Crystal Palace are without a win in their last five Premier League matches. And while they are not playing poorly, the Eagles need to start racking up wins to achieve a top-half finish. However, they will be up against a Chelsea side that will be in a confident mood after the Club World Cup triumph. The Blues will also be recharged after a week-long break following their excursions in the Middle East.
With Romelu Lukaku starting to find his groove and Kai Havertz’s morale high after his match-winning penalty in the Club World Cup final, Thomas Tuchel’s side look in good shape going forward and should be able to clinch a victory against Palace on Saturday.
