Crystal Palace and Chelsea will be desperate to resurrect their 2025/26 Premier League campaigns when they clash at Selhurst Park on Sunday.
Gameweek 23 of the 2025/26 Premier League season continues on Sunday. The action on the day will start with three simultaneous matches, including Crystal Palace vs Chelsea at Selhurst Park, with both London clubs eager to embark on a winning run.
Liam Rosenior has overseen an upturn in form since taking over as the new Chelsea head coach. The Blues have won three of their four games under the English tactician, with the later victory coming in the UEFA Champions League against Pafos FC. Rosenior also won his first Premier League game in charge, with the Blues clinching a convincing 2-0 win over Brentford to rise to sixth on the table.
On the other hand, Crystal Palace’s struggled continued last week, as they fell to a 2-1 defeat to Sunderland. That extended the South London club’s winless run to ten games. Once in the top four and challenging for UEFA Champions League qualification, the Eagles have fallen to 13th in the Premier League standings. So, it is hardly surprising that Oliver Glasner has not been a happy camper in recent weeks, with the decision to sell Marc Guehi rubbing him the wrong way.
The reverse fixture was a draw goalless stalemate, with Crystal Palace and Chelsea managing only five shots on target between them. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Crystal Palace
Oliver Glasner has received positive updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Crystal Palace manager may be bereft of the services of only five first-team players vs Chelsea on Sunday.
Daniel Munoz (knee) and Nathaniel Clyne (groin) have recovered from their recent fitness issues, and they will be fit and available to take on Chelsea. Additionally, Ismaila Sarr is back after Senegal’s triumphant campaign at the Africa Cup of Nations. However, Caleb Kporha (lower back), Cheick Doucoure (knee), Daichi Kamada (thigh), Rio Cardines (knock), and Eddie Nketiah (hamstring) remain in the treatment room.
Dean Henderson is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Crystal Palace lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs Chelsea on Sunday. The central defensive unit will feature Chris Richards, Maxence Lacroix, and Jefferson Lerma. Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell will be the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will provide width in the final third and protect the centre-backs. As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Adam Wharton and Will Hughes. Finally, Jean-Philippe Mateta will lead the line for Crystal Palace against Chelsea, with Yeremy Pino and Brennan Johnson completing the numbers in the offensive third.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Lerma; Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Johnson, Yeremy; Mateta
Chelsea
Like his counterpart in the Crystal Palace dugout, Liam Rosenior has received a positive update on the team news front ahead of the short trip to Selhurst Park. The Chelsea head coach will be without six first-team players on Sunday.
Cole Palmer has recovered from a minor hamstring injury, and he should be fit and available to take on Crystal Palace. However, Filip Jorgensen (knock), Tosin Adarabioyo (thigh), Levi Colwill (knee), Romeo Lavia (thigh), and Dario Essugo (hamstring) remain in the treatment room.
Robert Sanchez will take his usual spot between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Pedro
Key Stats
- Crystal Palace are winless in their last 16 Premier League games vs Chelsea, drawing the three most recent meetings after losing 13 successive clashes. The Blues have failed to score in only one of their 16 Premier League away games against Crystal Palace (W12 D2 L2), doing so in a 1-0 defeat in March 2014.
- Only Burnley (13) are on a longer winless run in the Premier League currently than Crystal Palace (7), with the Eagles drawing two and losing five of their seven most recent games. They last had a longer winless run between August and October 2024 (eight matches).
- Chelsea are looking to win successive Premier League matches for the first time since November (a three game run) following their 2-0 win over Brentford.
- Since Oliver Glasner’s first Premier League match in charge of Crystal Palace, only three teams have dropped more points from winning positions than they have (39). The Eagles have gone ahead twice in four games in 2026, failing to win either game (D1 L1).
- Chelsea won their first Premier League match under Liam Rosenior. Graham Potter, in October 2022, was the last manager to win his first two matches with the West London club. The most recent Englishman to win his first two games in the competition was Steven Gerrard in November 2021 with Aston Villa.
- Since the start of the 2022/23 season, only Arsenal (97) have won more points in Premier League London derbies than Chelsea (73). Meanwhile, only West Ham United (38) have picked up fewer than Crystal Palace (45) in that time.
Player to Watch
Jean-Philippe Mateta
While Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernandez, and Brennan Johnson were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Jean-Philippe Mateta as the Player to Watch for Sunday’s Premier League clash between Crystal Palace and Chelsea at Selhurst Park.
Mateta has scored six of Crystal Palace’s last seven Premier League goals at Selhurst Park, and the other was a Nathan Collins own goal. The last Crystal Palace player other than Mateta to score was Eddie Nketiah in September against Liverpool; since then, 17 players other than Mateta have had a shot without scoring (83 shots, 18 on target, 8.5 xG). So, it is hardly surpsing the French international is the go-to man for Oliver Glasner in the final third.
Prediction
Crystal Palace 1-2 Chelsea
Crystal Palace may have become a resolute team under Oliver Glasner in recent years. However, the Eagles’ recent rut and their underperformance in London derbies mean they may not take anything from this game.
While the hosts will take the game to Chelsea, their defensive shortcomings will condemn them to another defeat, thus extending their winless run. So, the Liam Rosenior effect at Chelsea will continue, and a narrow defeat is on the cards. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Rosenior and his charges, with Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro delivering the goods.