MX23RW : Thursday, March 28 19:19:21| >> :60:9:9:
[monks data]
Chelsea logo
Premier League
Dec 14, 2013 at 3pm UK
 
Crystal Palace logo

2-1

Torres (15'), Ramires (36')
FT(HT: 2-1)
Chamakh (29')

Match Analysis: Chelsea 2-1 Crystal Palace

Sports Mole's analyses Chelsea's important but unconvincing Premier League victory over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea hosted Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge this afternoon knowing that only three points would do in their bid to gain ground on Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Blues boss Jose Mourinho rang the changes for the London derby and his side went ahead after 15 minutes, as Fernando Torres followed up to score a rebound from close range.

Palace responded strongly and equalised through Marouane Chamakh, but were level for just six minutes as Ramires smashed in a strike that proved to be the difference between the sides at opposite ends of the table.

Here, Sports Mole dissects a display which may well leave more questions and answers for Mourinho and Chelsea supporters.

Match statistics:

Chelsea:
Shots 16
On target 7
Possession 70%
Corners 3
Fouls 13

Palace:
Shots 10
On target 5
Possession 30%
Corners 1
Fouls 7

Was the result fair?

Chelsea were worthy winners but only on the strength of a strong first-half display that saw them dominate possession and territory. Palace battled bravely and forced a nervy finish, leaving Blues fans moaning loudly in the closing stages thanks to poor passing and a lack of urgency for long spells.

Chelsea's performance

Sloppy passing was a persistent theme but Chelsea still showed brief flashes of quality in the final third, with Eden Hazard and Willian in particular linking up promisingly on more than one occasion. Defensive lapses in concentration continue to blight the Blues through, with Chamakh able to catch John Terry by surprise for his goal out of almost nowhere.

Palace's performance

Manager Tony Pulis can take plenty of positives from a display full of desire, commitment and purpose. Palace struggled to leave their half in the first 20 minutes but battled bravely, before using the pace of Cameron Jerome and Jason Puncheon to build on the counter. Branislav Ivanovic in particular struggled with clever bursts from Puncheon, but ultimately the Eagles could not create enough chances to put Petr Cech under pressure. Their best effort nearly saw Stuart O'Keefe scramble home a late equaliser, but Terry put in a trademark block on the line and with that chances of parity probably went.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Ramires: Chelsea's energetic Brazilian just about takes this crown ahead of Hazard, and not just for a ferocious winner that was brilliantly placed into the corner from 20 yards. Ramires and Michael Essien definitely won the midfield battle and gave Willian, Hazard and Juan Mata plenty of possession to build attacks.

Referee's performance

Mark Clattenburg had little to do but kept the match moving at a brisk pace, with his most notable involvement to book Ivanovic after he continued to moan about the award of a free kick. Just the three yellow cards tell the story of a game played with little spite or malice in truth.

Biggest gaffe

Begrudgingly I'll also give this award to Ramires, who with the goal at his mercy late on inexplicably decided to pass across goal rather than aim at a gaping net from 12 yards. Terry comes in a close second for allowing Chamakh to wander free and meet Joel Ward's cross for the Palace equaliser.

What next?

Chelsea: Mourinho's men are now within two points of league leaders Arsenal and have a massive match to prepare for next Monday, when they visit the Emirates Stadium for a meeting between genuine title contenders in a crunch clash.

Palace: Pulis will hope to keep the positive momentum building at Palace when the Eagles return to Selurst Park next Saturda, in search of a third successive home win at the expense of Newcastle United.

ID:124227: cacheID:124227:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:6744:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Goalscorer Andre Schurrle of Chelsea celebrates with teammate Eden Hazard after scoring his team's second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Stoke City and Chelsea at Britannia Stadium on December 7, 2013
Read Next:
Live Commentary: Chelsea 2-1 Crystal Palace - as it happened
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!