CHELSEA VS CRYSTAL PALACE: PREVIEW
- Danyal Khan
- Nov 4, 2018
- 3 min read
Chelsea will be looking to go 11 unbeaten in the Premier League with a win over Crystal Palace on Sunday.
The Blues will be looking to continue their unbeaten momentum after their rampant 4-0 victory away at Turf Moor last weekend.
Chelsea will be taking on a Crystal Palace side who picked up an impressive point at home to an in-form Arsenal side last weekend.
Crystal Palace have some very tough fixtures in this period of the Premier League season, with Tottenham and Manchester United on the horizon for the Eagles after this London Derby at Stamford Bridge.
TEAM NEWS:
Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has confirmed he does not know whether Eden Hazard will be fit for the Palace clash.
Striker Olivier Giroud is a doubt for Sunday after missing midweek’s Carabao Cup game with Derby through Injury.
Ethan Ampadu is also a doubt for the game on Sunday.
Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha missed Palace's midweek defeat at Middlesbrough with a shoulder problem but is fit for the trip to Stamford Bridge.
Roy also confirmed that James McArthur and Cheikhou Kouyate also had knocks and didn’t travel to Boro midweek but have all made good recoveries.
But Christian Benteke, Scott Dann and Joel Ward remain sidelined. Roy also confirmed in his press conference that Connor Wickham has a new thigh strain which will keep him out for this game.
THE MANAGERS:
Sarri gave a bit of detail on the condition of his star player Hazard and has insisted he will likely take some part in the game.
"Yesterday Eden had a large part of training with the team," Sarri confirmed. "Maybe he will not be ready to play for 90 minutes at the moment because it was his first training in the last two weeks.
"But probably he will be able to play for 40, 45 minutes. So for us it's important."
Crystal Palace boss Hodgson has said that he cannot deny the difficulty of the task ahead of them at Stamford Bridge.
"We can't disguise the enormity of the task," the Palace manager admitted. "We can't make out it will be easier than it is going to be, but we have played well against Liverpool and Arsenal. Our belief and confidence is based on that.
"I don't prepare for teams to underestimate us, because I think we have done enough not to be underestimated. I don't think anyone will see it as a foregone conclusion."
MATCH STATS:
Chelsea and Crystal Palace have met 48 times in all competitions with Chelsea having the better head to head record against their South London counterparts. Chelsea have won 22 times. There have been 15 draws between these two sides in all competitions. And Crystal Palace have beaten Chelsea 11 times in all competitions.
Palace have won two of the last three meetings and two of the last three clashes at Stamford Bridge. Four of the last six meetings have ended 2-1.
Chelsea have drawn three of their last five league matches, winning two.
Six of their seven league goals conceded this season have come at home.
Chelsea boss Sarri could equal Frank Clark's Premier League record of staying unbeaten in his first 11 Premier League games.
Eden Hazard has scored just one goal in 10 Premier League appearances against Crystal Palace.
Ross Barkley has scored in each of his last three Premier League games for Chelsea - only two Englishmen have scored in four in a row for the Blues, Frank Lampard and Mark Stein.
Palace are without a win in their last five league matches, losing three.
All four of Palace's wins this season have come away from home - two in the league and two in the League Cup.
Five of their seven league goals this season have been scored on their travels.
The Eagles are one-win shy of 200 victories in the top-flight.
Hodgson's only Premier League win at Stamford Bridge came on his first visit in April 1998 with Blackburn Rovers - he has lost his last four league matches there.
BETTING ODDS:
Chelsea: 1/4
Draw: 11/2
Crystal Palace: 9/1
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