Chelsea are going through a bad patch in the Premier League. The Blues extended their winless streak to four matches as they played out a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park — a disturbing trend for a team with ambitions of making it to Europe. Despite the early goal from Cole Palmer and their dominance, Chelsea could not capitalize due to their sheer lack of clinical finishing.
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Palmer shines, but Chelsea loses grip
Chelsea got off to a great start, taking the lead in the 14th minute. Palmer, thanks to a brilliant assist from Jadon Sancho, found space in the box and finished with precision. It was his 13th goal of the season, which nailed his importance under Enzo Maresca. However, missed chances by Nicolas Jackson and Josh Acheampong kept Crystal Palace in the game.
But a single goal deficit on the scoreboard did not give justice to which team had dominance. "We probably did enough to win the game today. We created enough chances, but going forward you have to be clinical, otherwise, the game stays open", Maresca conceded afterwards to a recurring theme of his season with them.
Late Mateta steals
Crystal Palace levelled matters in the 37th minute of the second half. Jean-Philippe Mateta, a threat throughout the game, turned an intelligent pass from Ebere Eze into the net. It was a move that was finished with real aplomb as Palace showed their resolve to ensure they would not suffer successive defeats to Chelsea home and away for the first time since the 1991/92 season.
While the assist by Eze was a good enough reason to make him stand out, his persistent involvement in the attack made him the star. The seven assists he has for Mateta are the equal best for player pairings in Crystal Palace's Premier League history.
Old problems, new challenges
Chelsea have to start looking within the ranks for correction of those flaws that continue to cost them critical points this season. Since beating Brighton away on December 15, they have only collected two draws and suffered two losses. That now leaves the Blues in a lowly fourth place with 36 points as leaders Liverpool stood nine points ahead with still two games outstanding.
Maresca was candid in his assessment: "This stage of the season happens to every team at some point. Today, if I have to pinpoint why we didn't win, it's about being clinical when you have the chance to kill the game."
While the finishing has not been there, Maresca made a point to underline the need for them to stay on course with their offensive creation. "If you're creating chances, it means you're doing the right things. The only thing we can do is push even harder during the week", he added.
Crystal Palace breathes easier
For Crystal Palace, a draw was a relief. The team now sits in 15th place with 21 points, still inching its way further from the relegation zone. For the second time in four days, Selhurst Park proved a fortress, with a display that married perspiration and efficiency-the kind they will need over the coming weeks.