Chelsea´s loss of form ´impossible´ to avoid according to Maresca

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has said that their blip is to be expected during a football season ahead of their game against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Maresca’s side were beaten 2-0 away to Ipswich Town in their final match of 2024, meaning they come into the next game without a win in their last three matches.

But despite their worrying loss of form, Maresca was unfazed as he urged his side to find a response against the Eagles at Selhurst Park.

“We expected this kind of moment during the season because we know that this kind of moment belongs to football,” he told Sky Sports.

“It is almost impossible to have a season where you do not have a moment like now for us.”

Chelsea are currently fourth in the Premier League and trail leaders Liverpool by 10 points, while they lead fifth-placed Newcastle by three.

Maresca went on to explain that nobody expected Chelsea to be in the position they are currently at this stage of the season.

“This means and shows that we are in the right direction, as I’ve said many times, but also shows that we are far from competing and consistency and being there with the best teams in England.

“Again, I think we have to be satisfied with where we are, but at the same time, we have to know we need to do many things better.”

2025 starts here. pic.twitter.com/uPVq1UNHhR

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 1, 2025

Oliver Glasner, meanwhile, is hoping that Eberechi Eze can kick on after scoring the winning goal against Southampton last time out, which was just his second in the league this season.

“I’m very pleased for him.” Glasner said. “Maybe it’s the circle of football. It started with the disallowed goal at Brentford after 10 minutes.

“It was the first game of the season and now it’s the last game in 2024 and now he scored this goal. He was really suffering, it looked like with this special moment.

“He had many big chances, great saves by the keepers, missing by one inch, hitting the post and then all of a sudden it was in his head.

“I could see him, he was suffering. I’m really pleased for him that he scored the game winner today.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Crystal Palace – Eberechi Eze

Eze scored Palace’s goal in their 1-1 draw against Chelsea earlier this season, and will be eying a bit of history at Selhurst Park.

The only Eagles player to score home and away league goals against the Blues in a single campaign was George Whitworth in 1924-25.

Chelsea – Cole Palmer

Palmer is the third-highest scorer in the Premier League this season with 12 goals so far. He is also second to Mohamed Salah in the Premier League for total goal involvements, having laid on six assists in the league.

No player was involved in more Premier League goals during 2024 than Palmer (26 goals, 13 assists), a record by a Blues player in a single year.

Only Erling Haaland (142) had more shots last year in the top-flight (139) than Palmer, and only Bruno Fernandes (99) created more chances (97) than the Chelsea talisman.

MATCH PREDICTION: CHELSEA WIN

Chelsea have won 12 of their 15 Premier League away games against Palace (D1 L2) – it’s the joint highest away win rate any side has against another in the competition (80% – min. 10 meetings).

The Blues, however, have lost their last two Premier League games, as many defeats as they’d suffered in their previous 23 games combined (W15 D6). They last suffered more losses in a row between April and May 2023 during Frank Lampard’s second spell in charge (four).

Chelsea have only won their opening league match in one of the last eight calendar years (D5 L2), though this was a 1-0 win against Fulham in 2024. They last won their first league game in consecutive years, in 2005 and 2006.

Palace’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the reverse fixture in September ended a run of 13 consecutive Premier League defeats against the Blues. They’ve not avoided defeat in both league meetings since 1991-92 (D2).

But having lost five of their first eight Premier League games this season (D3), Palace have now lost just two of their last 11 (W4 D5). However, both defeats in this current run have been in home London derbies (0-2 v Fulham, 1-5 v Arsenal).

The Eagles have, however, lost their opening league match in each of the last three calendar years by an aggregate score of 12-2. All three of these matches have also been London derbies.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Crystal Palace – 27.5%

Draw – 24.3%

Chelsea – 48.2%