Crystal Palace faces Chelsea in a crucial Premier League clash, with both teams seeking to improve their standings this weekend
London: This weekend, Crystal Palace is set to host Chelsea in a Premier League showdown. The Eagles are feeling good after a recent win against Southampton, pulling them five points clear of the relegation zone.
They’ve only lost once in their last six league matches, which is a nice turnaround for Oliver Glasner in his first full season. Meanwhile, Chelsea is in need of some positive vibes.
After a tough 2-0 loss to Ipswich, they haven’t won in three league games, which isn’t great for their momentum. Enzo Maresca has been saying they’re not in a title race, but he definitely wants to turn things around soon.
The match kicks off at 3pm GMT on Saturday, January 4, 2025, at Selhurst Park. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to catch it live on TV in the UK due to the 3pm blackout rule.
But don’t worry, you can catch the highlights later on BBC One’s Match of the Day at 10:20pm. If you want live updates, Standard Sport will have a match blog to keep you in the loop!
As for team news, Palace will welcome back their captain, Marc Guehi, after a suspension. However, Adam Wharton and Matheus Franca are still out injured. Chelsea has some good news too, with Reece James back on the bench, but they’ll miss a few key players like Wesley Fofana and Mykhailo Mudryk.
With Palace looking solid and Chelsea struggling a bit, a draw seems like a fair prediction. I’m thinking it might end up 1-1.
Historically, Chelsea has the upper hand with 38 wins against Palace’s 12, but anything can happen in a derby!
As for the odds, Palace is at 29/10 to win, while Chelsea is favored at 10/11. A draw is sitting at 11/4. Let’s see how it all plays out!
