Chelsea are seeking their fourth win of the Liam Rosenior era when they visit struggling London rivals Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday.
The Blues have been victorious in three of Rosenior’s four matches at the helm but have entirely failed to convince in recent triumphs over Brentford and Pafos. There remains significant work for the former Strasbourg coach to do at Stamford Bridge, although his next assignment takes him to Selhurst Park.
Victory for Chelsea against the Eagles would help boost their hopes of Champions League qualification come the end of the season, but the Blues have won just one of their last six league outings. They can take nothing for granted, especially with one eye cast towards a crucial Champions League clash with Napoli next Wednesday,
Palace are there for the taking, though. Marc Guéhi’s exit and Oliver Glasner’s subsequent outburst after defeat to Sunderland, for which he was almost sacked. means an on-field streak of 10 matches without victory is not the only concern for last term’s FA Cup winners.
Glasner, who has confirmed he will leave the club at the end of the season, must oversee dramatic improvements against Chelsea to avoid another disappointing defeat.
Here’s Sports Illustrated’s preview of the game.
What Time Does Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea Kick Off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Selhurst Park
- Date: Sunday, Jan. 25
- Kick-off Time: 2 p.m. GMT / 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT
- Referee: Darren England
- VAR: Matt Donohue
Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Crystal Palace: 0 wins
- Chelsea: 2 wins
- Draws: 3
Current Form (All Competitions)
|
Crystal Palace |
Chelsea |
|---|---|
|
Sunderland 2–1 Crystal Palace – 17/1/26 |
Chelsea 1–0 Pafos – 21/1/26 |
|
Macclesfield 2–1 Crystal Palace – 10/1/26 |
Chelsea 2–0 Brentford – 17/1/26 |
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Crystal Palace 0–0 Aston Villa – 7/1/26 |
Chelsea 2–3 Arsenal – 14/1/26 |
|
Newcastle 2–0 Crystal Palace – 4/1/26 |
Charlton 1–5 Chelsea – 10/1/26 |
|
Crystal Palace 1–1 Fulham – 1/1/26 |
Fulham 2–1 Chelsea – 7/1/26 |
How to Watch Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea on TV, Live Stream
|
Country |
TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Ultra HD, Sky GO, Sky GO Extra |
|
United States |
USA Network, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo |
|
Canada |
DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network 2 Canada |
|
Mexico |
Max Mexico, TNT Sports, TNT Go |
Crystal Palace Team News
Despite persistent links with a departure this winter, Glasner confirmed that star striker Jean-Philippe Mateta will feature against Chelsea. That’s positive news for the Eagles, who will also welcome Daniel Muñoz and recent Africa Cup of Nations champion Ismaïlla Sarr back into the fold.
There will still be absentees for Palace, however, with Cheick Doucouré, Daichi Kamada, Eddie Nketiah, Caleb Kporha and Rio Cardines all missing through injury.
Glasner confirmed that Dean Henderson will take over the captaincy from Guéhi.
Crystal Palace Predicted Lineup vs. Chelsea
Crystal Palace predicted lineup vs. Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Lerma; Muñoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Sarr, Pino; Mateta.
Chelsea Team News
Cole Palmer missed the midweek win over Pafos due to a minor injury but Rosenior has confirmed that the attacking midfielder has a “really good chance” of being available for the trip to Selhurst Park.
That can’t be said of Filip Jörgensen, who was injured against Pafos, and the goalkeeper joins Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo, Roméo Lavia and Dário Essugo in the treatment room—the latter having only recently returned from the sidelines.
Mykahilo Mudryk is still suspended after failing a drugs test.
Chelsea predicted lineup vs. Crystal Palace (4-2-3-1): Sánchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernández; Neto, Palmer, Garnacho; Pedro.
Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea Score Prediction
Chelsea have hit the ground running under Rosenior in terms of results, but less so when it comes to performances. Underwhelming displays highlight that the 41-year-old will be no quick fix in the dugout, even if the players seem to have bought into his ideas.
Palace are in dreadful form and there will be tension in the air at Selhurst Park following Glasner’s recent revelation and rant, but the critical returns of Muñoz and Sarr should offer encouragement down Palace’s right-hand side.
The last three battles between the sides have ended in draws and Chelsea’s inconsistencies could result in another stalemate on Sunday.
