Prediction: Chelsea vs Crystal Palace

Verdict: Draw

Best odds: 27/10

Bookmaker: ZetBet

Chelsea are set to face Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday in a crucial Premier League fixture, aiming to secure a victory that would solidify their place in the top half of the league table.

Palace will head across the Thames sitting just four points behind their upcoming opponents in the standings.

Chelsea

At the Molineux on Sunday, Chelsea experienced a familiar pattern of highs followed by lows, succumbing to Wolverhampton Wanderers in their latest Premier League fixture. An inability to capitalize on opportunities, most notably a promising chance wasted by Raheem Sterling, allowed Wolves to stay competitive in the first half. However, the home side seized control after halftime.

Although Christopher Nkunku managed to score his first goal for Chelsea in added time, it only served as a consolation as the team suffered their eighth defeat in 18 Premier League games under Mauricio Pochettino’s management.

Presently trailing by eight points from the top six, Chelsea face the pressing need to embark on a winning streak to avoid relying solely on cup competitions like the EFL Cup or FA Cup for a potential European qualification route.

Despite registering just three wins in nine league matches at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea secured victories in their recent two home games and maintain an unbeaten streak of five matches across all competitions.

Team News

Pochettino will face some forced changes to the Chelsea lineup due to injuries and suspensions. Lesley Ugochukwu’s hamstring injury and the one-game bans for Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling will necessitate adjustments.

There’s a possibility that Moises Caicedo or Enzo Fernandez could return, considering their recoveries from illness and hernia issues, respectively. Romeo Lavia might not be ready for a starting role since he hasn’t participated in a competitive match all season.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain boss might refrain from starting Nkunku after his recent debut following a long absence. Noni Madueke and Mykhaylo Mudryk seem set to feature in the attacking third, with Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja also in contention.

Given Chelsea’s extensive injury concerns, Pochettino might lean towards starting Ian Maatsen at right-back over the recently returned Malo Gusto.

Crystal Palace

Roy Hodgson heads to Chelsea with Crystal Palace amid pressure to improve the team’s performance, having secured just one victory in their last 11 matches. Despite this, the consecutive draws against Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion have provided some positivity, although they now sit just six points above the relegation zone.

The late equalizer conceded against Brighton was disappointing, but apart from a defeat against Bournemouth at home, Palace have shown resilience in their recent games. Despite being considered underdogs in four of their latest matches, they’ve only lost once, with the controversial sending off of Jordan Ayew affecting their game against Liverpool, where they surrendered a lead.

The Eagles have struggled in terms of their attacking prowess, sharing the second-worst goal-scoring record in the league. However, they managed to find the net in eight of their last nine Premier League fixtures, indicating some consistency in scoring despite their overall struggles.

Team News

Hodgson might be considering reintroducing Eberechi Eze into the starting lineup after his brief appearance against Brighton. Eze has been gradually regaining fitness after recovering from a hamstring injury and is set to have more training sessions before the Chelsea game.

Assuming no new injury concerns arise, Palace might see Eze’s return as the sole alteration in their lineup, possibly maintaining Chris Richards in a defensive midfield role. It seems unlikely that any of Palace’s currently injured players will be available for selection for the upcoming match. The list includes Cheick Doucoure, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Joel Ward, Sam Johnstone, Rob Holding and Odsonne Edouard.

Conclusion

With both teams beset with injuries amid poor-performance spells, it seems quite plausible for Palace to hold Chelsea to a frustrating draw, despite the home side boasting some extremely talented players.

Verdict: Draw

Best odds: 27/10

Bookmaker: ZetBet