Tammy Abraham ends drought as Chelsea edge Palace in thriller and move into third
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Updated 07/07/2020 at 20:20 GMT
Premier League, Selhurst Park. Crystal Palace 2 (Zaha 34’, Benteke 72’) Chelsea 3 (GIroud 6’, Pulisic 27’, Abraham 71’)
Tammy Abraham of Chelsea celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's third goal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea FC at Selhurst Park on July 07, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empt
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Substitute Tammy Abraham’s goal proved decisive as Chelsea made hard work of a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace in a thrilling match at Selhurst Park.
Against his former club, Gary Cahill was out of luck as he pulled up with a hamstring injury, one that prematurely ended his involvement in the match, and allowed Willian in to pull the ball back for Olivier Giroud to break the deadlock with just six minutes on the clock.
The in-form Christian Pulisic then doubled Chelsea’s advantage with a powerful strike in the 27th minute to put Chelsea into a commanding position, before Wilfried Zaha’s first goal of 2020 – one worth the wait from fully 30 yards – got Palace back in it seven minutes later.
Abraham then stepped off the bench to score his first goal since mid-January to seemingly again put Chelsea in a strong position, before, 82 seconds later, Benteke got on the scoresheet at Selhurst Park for the first time since January 2018 to give Palace hope. However, Chelsea just saw out the win after surviving a late scare as Scott Dann hit the post to, temporarily at least, go third.
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Christian Pulisic celebrates with his teammates Willian, Olivier Giroud and César Azpilicueta after scoring
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Up against the club he won two league titles and Champions League with, Cahill looked to be in control when chasing the ball with Willian, but fell to the ground holding the back of his thigh. Willian was left in acres of space, he pulled it back for Giroud and Chelsea had the lead.
There was nothing anyone could have done about Pulisic’s second as the American collected a pass from Willian before shifting the ball onto his left foot before rifling home. A second assist of the game took Willian to six goal involvements since the restart.
Palace looked done and it seemed to be only a matter of how many Chelsea would go on to score. Only a mistake or something extraordinary would get Palace back in it, and with nothing on, Zaha let fly from 30 yards and beat Kepa Arrizabalaga all ends up. Questions will be fired at Kepa again, but it was hit so hard he could barely move in time.
After the break Giroud should have had his second of the game but headed over, before his replacement Abraham rifled a strike into the bottom corner after being set up by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, but as Chelsea players were still celebrating a lesser-spotted Benteke goal pegged them back.
Dann looked like he added one final piece of drama at the back post, but his header came out off the inside of the post in the 95th minute to break Palace hearts.
TALKING POINT
Are Chelsea ready for a Jorginho-less world? Plenty of fans were happy to see young Billy Gilmour get the nod over Jorginho in the absence of N'Golo Kante for Chelsea, but after being overrun in midfield for much of the match, it is far from certain that the long-term future at Chelsea is one without Jorginho at the heart of it. When the Italian did come on, he certainly calmed things down. Frank Lampard deserves acclaim for his bold selections, but an experienced head in midfield is certainly still needed.
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Jorginho of Chelsea
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MAN OF THE MATCH - Willian.
The Brazilian is doing his best to put himself in the shop window for when his contract runs out at the end of the season. Two more assists at Selhurst Park takes him to six goal involvements since the Premier League restart - no Premier League player has more.
PLAYER RATINGS
Crystal Palace: Guaita 7, Ward 6, van Aanholt 7, Dann 6, Cahill 6, McArthur 6, Kouyate 6, Milivojevic 7, Zaha 8, Ayew 6, Benteke 7... Subs: Meyer 6, Townsend 6, Sakho 6, McCarthy 6.
Chelsea: Kepa 6, Azpilicueta 6, James 6, Christensen 6, Zouma 7, Gilmour 7, Mount 6, Barkley 7, Willian 8, Pulisic 8, Giroud 7. Subs: Jorginho 7, Abraham 7, Loftus-Cheek 7
KEY MOMENTS
6’ - GGGOOOOAAALLLLL!!!! Palace 0-1 Chelsea. Heartbreak for Gary Cahill against his former club, as he pulls up with an injury, and Olivier Giroud swoops in to score the opener! Talk about rotten luck. Cahill has it covered as he chases after the ball with Willian, but pulls up and falls to the floor, clutching his hamstring. Willian is therefore in acres of space, pulls it back for Giroud, who slots home.
10’ - CLOSE! So, so close from Kurt Zouma, who climbs highest to meet a corner, but cannot guide his header on target.
27’ - GGGOOOOOAAALLLLLL!!!!! Palace 0-2 Chelsea. Pulisic with a brilliant strike to make it two. Willian with another assist! The Brazilian lays it across for Pulisic, who shifts the ball very quickly onto his left foot before rifling the ball into the net at the near post. Great finish.
32’ - SAVE! Brilliant stop from Vicente Guaita to deny Willian. Pulisic shows he can turn provider, setting up Willian after a mazy run, the Brazilian tries to do Guaita with the eyes, but fails to wrong-foot the Palace stopper who makes a fine save.
34’ - GGGOOOOOOAAALLLLL!!!!! Palace 1-2 Chelsea. MY WORD! What a goal from Zaha! Game on! Did not see a way back into this for Palace, but Zaha had other ideas. With not much on, Zaha lets fly from 30 yards, and it flies into the roof of the net. Kepa could have done better, but take nothing away from that strike. HIs first goal of 2020.
55’ - CHANCE! Should be 3-1. Pinpoint cross from Reece James lands right on the head of Giroud, but he can't keep the header down from eight yards.
71' - GGGOOOOAAALLLLLL!!! C Palace 1-3 Chelsea. A sucker punch for Palace as Abraham gives Chelsea a two-goal cushion. Fine finish from Abraham, as he ends his long goal drought by firing into the bottom corner after being played in by Loftus-Cheek.
72’ - GGGOOOOOAAALLLLL!!! C Palace 2-3 Chelsea. Well that didn't last long as Benteke gets Palace back in it within a minute! Wow! The Chelsea players were still celebrating as Van Aanholt sneaks in, feeds it across for Benteke, who taps home his first goal since February to put Palace right back in this.
87’ - SAVE! Super stop from Guaita to top Mount's guided effort just past the post. Willian again with the assist.
90+5’ - OH MY WORD! Incredible scenes here as Dann arrives at the back post, heads for the bottom corner, looks to have equalised, but the ball comes out off the post and away
KEY STATS
- Chelsea have now won 132 of their 256 London derbies in the Premier League; their 52 percent win rate is the highest for any side in such matches.
- Crystal Palace have lost four consecutive matches for the first time since March 2018 - the fourth game in that run was also against Chelsea.
- Frank Lampard is the first English Chelsea boss to achieve a league double over Crystal Palace since Dave Sexton in 1971-72.
- Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud has scored five goals in his last eight Premier League appearances; his previous five goals in the competition were spread across 49 games.
- Christian Benteke scored his first Premier League goal for Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park since April 2018 against Leicester, while this was his first such goal there excluding penalties since May 2017 against Hull.
- The average age of Crystal Palace’s starting XI was 30 years and 351 days, the oldest of any starting XI in the competition this season. Palace have named 17 of the 20 oldest starting line-ups in 2019-20.
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