August 17 2025

Chelsea 0-0 Palace

Eberechi Eze was denied a storybook moment at Stamford Bridge as Crystal Palace came away with a goalless draw against Chelsea.

With transfer talk swirling around a possible move to Tottenham, Eze was a surprise inclusion in Oliver Glasner’s starting XI – and he almost produced the perfect farewell.

Just 13 minutes in, he whipped a stunning 20-yard free-kick beyond Robert Sanchez, only for VAR to intervene. Referee Darren England ruled the strike out on the basis that Marc Guehi, another Palace star linked with a move away, had been stationed within a metre of Chelsea’s wall.

The rarely enforced rule, in place since 2019, robbed Palace of what would have been one of the goals of the season.

Undeterred, Palace looked the brighter of the two sides in the first half. Jean-Philippe Mateta and Maxence Lacroix both carved out promising openings, while Chelsea – fresh from their summer celebrations as world champions – looked strangely flat and offered little before the interval.

The hosts improved after the break as debutant substitutes Estevao Willian, Liam Delap and Andrey Santos added energy, but the Eagles stood firm. Glasner’s side appeared content to dig in and secure a hard-earned point against one of the league’s so-called “big six,” with Dean Henderson rarely troubled in goal.

As the window ticks towards its close, all eyes will be on the futures of Eze and Guehi. If this was to be Eze’s Palace farewell, his disallowed free-kick was a cruel reminder of just what the Eagles could soon be losing

Palace: Henderson, Munoz, Richards, Lacroix, Guehi, Mitchell, Hughes (Lerma 69), Wharton, Sarr, Eze (Devenny 82), Mateta.

Not used: Benítez, Clyne, Sosa, Cardines, Rak-Sakyi, Esse, Edouard.

Chelsea: Sanchez James (Gusto 79), Chalobah, Acheampong, Cucurella, Caicedo, Enzo (Santos 79) Neto, Palmer, Gittens (Estevao 54) Joao Pedro (Delap 73).

Not used: Jorgensen, Fofana, Hato, Essugo, George.