- Mykhailo Mudryk opened the scoring before Michael Olise bagged an equaliser
- Substitute Noni Madueke was fouled in the box before converting the penalty Â
- Tactical flexibility in attack, European winners and sixth in the league… David Moyes deserves more credit for the job he’s doing at West Ham –Â It’s All Kicking Off
Chelsea don’t make it easy for themselves do they? They got their three points here against Crystal Palace to, at least temporarily, relieve the pressure on Mauricio Pochettino.
But they had to rely on a late penalty from substitute Noni Madueke to secure victory from a game they created enough chances to win two games.
Pochettino will take it and run, of course. His brittle team need all the help they can get right now.
A win is a win, but this this was all rather unconvincing. Yes they produced good chances, but so did Palace.
But for Roy Hodgson, his side’s alarming slump towards another relegation fight will be worrying the Selhurst Park board.
It’s Brentford on Saturday. Lose that and Palace may have a decision to make.
Palace, without a win in seven matches heading into the encounter, started positively.
MATCH FACTS AND RATINGSÂ
Chelsea (4231): Petrovic 6; Gusto 7, Disasi 6.5, Badiashile 6.5 (Gilchrist 90), Colwill 6 (Silva 58, 6.5); Caicedo 7, Gallagher 7; Maatsen 6 (Lavia 58, 6), Nkunku 6.5 (Madueke 71), Mudryk 7 (BrojÄ… 71); Jackson 7.
Subs:Â Bettinelli, Bergstrom, Matos, Castledine.
Booking:Â Caicedo, Madueke.
Manager:Â Pochettino 6.5
Palace (433):Â Henderson 7; Clyne 6.5, Guehi 7, Andersen 7, Mitchell 6.5; Lerma 6.5 (Franca 90), Richards 6.5; Olise 7.5, Eze 7, Ayew 7 (Schlupp 79); Mateta 6.5.
Subs:Â Matthews, Tomkins, Hughes, Ahmada, Riedewald, Adaramola, Ozoh.
Booked:Â Richards, Mitchell.
Manager:Â Hodgson 6.5
Eberechi Eze curled a fifth minute free kick round the wall but narrowly wide, though away supporters were convinced the effort had crept just inside Djorde Petrovic’s near post after the ball rebounded off the advertising hoarding before rippling the net.
It was clear Palace sensed an opportunity here. Chelsea are fragile, the Christmas Eve loss at Wolves their eighth of a forgettable season.
The fact they were without suspended pair Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer – and injured club record signing Enzo Fernandez – compounded anxieties.
And Palace rapidly sought to add further misery. Michael Olise was bright down Palace’s left, one brilliantly executed turn to leave Levi Colwill trailing in his wake a particularly highlight.
Eze in his preferred No 10 role, was the conductor at the heart of Palace’s encouraging beginning. But, as has been Palace’s problem all season, chances were few and far between.
Eventually, Chelsea settled and were unlucky not to take a ninth minute advantage; Palace indebted to goalkeeper Dean Henderson, whose vital touch bought Tyrick Mitchell enough time to scamper back and clear Ian Maatsen’s goalbound effort off the line.
Four minutes later, Chelsea were in front. Mykhailo Mudryk stood haughtily with his arms aloft to receive his teammates’ acclaim after stroking home from close range.
But it was Malo Gusto who deserved the adulation. His turn in midfield left Chris Richards for dead.
His exchange of passes with Christophe Nkunku after driving through Palace’s disorganised centre left the visitor’s horribly exposed. His pass into Mudryk…well it was harder for the Ukrainian to miss.
We’ll be seeing much more of Gusto over the next few months as captain and first choice right-back Reece James rehabilitates from his latest hamstring injury.
If his contribution here is a sign of things to come, then Pochettino will like what he sees.
Finally some respite for Pochettino. Indeed, his side should have added to their tally before half-time, Mudryk missed a glorious opportunity after being set-up spectacularly by Nicolas Jackson’s before Nkunku inexplicably missed his kick with just Henderson to beat after more positive work from Chelsea’s maligned centre-forward.
But despite their lead the tense atmosphere was tense, the squandered opportunities merely adding to those apprehensions.
The natives are restless. They are used to winning. Chelsea haven’t won enough and supporters aren’t taking it well.
So, with that in mind, there was almost a sense of inevitability about what was to follow.
Richards’ 50/50 with 5ft 6ins Maatsen just outside Chelsea’s box was a mismatch. The ball broke to Jordan Ayew, whose back post cross caught the home defence napping leaving Olise all alone at the back post to cooly control on his chest before rifling past Petrovic.
The irony of the goalscorer was inescapable. Olise was one of Chelsea’s priority summer transfer targets only for the deal to collapse amid a brewing row over the Blues conduct when pursuing the Palace attacker.
In first half injury time, we caught a captivating glimpse of why Olise has been so coveted by Chelsea.
We should have been 3-0 up,’ moaned one Chelsea supporter in the East Stand as he vacated his seat at half-time.
He wasn’t wrong. Pochettino needs no reminding about the perils of missed opportunities.
Olise picked up where he left off at the start of the second half, two dazzling runs through the heart of Chelsea’s midfield had Palace fans salivating before Eze fired close again from a free kick.
Petrovic produced a good stop to deny Jean-Philippe Mateta’s angled drive in the 55th minute as Palace smelt blood.
Pochettino introduced Thiago Silva and £58million summer signing Romeo Lavia for his debut in hope of triggering a change in direction. Noni Madueke and Armando Broja soon followed.
Jackson restoring Chelsea’s lead should have come next, but he contrived to fire wide from Conor Gallagher’s killer pass in the 74th minute.
The pain in the Ecuador striker’s face was a picture. The expletives from the terraces were audible. Not much has gone right for Jackson since his summer arrival, this was his latest aberration.
His misery continued two minutes later when his goal from Silva’s deep cross was ruled out by VAR for a fractional offside.
But ultimately, Chelsea plundered their winner courtesy of a VAR check; Eze bringing down Madueke, who stepped up to send Henderson the wrong way in the 89th minute.
Some breathing space for Pochettino. Well, until the next defeat.
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