Chelsea will look to extend their reputation as fast-starters when they face a Crystal Palace side dealing with off-field distractions but still capable of springing a surprise.
14:00 Sunday
The Community Shield champions, Crystal Palace, head to Stamford Bridge to face Enzo Maresca’s Blues in their Premier League opener.
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace Prediction
- Chelsea are traditionally fast starters, with only Manchester United (22) winning more opening-day games than their 20 in Premier League history.
- The Blues have been in free-scoring form over the summer, netting six goals across their final two friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan. With their attacking depth, they’ll be expected to start with a bang.
- Crystal Palace, meanwhile, face uncertainty after losing their appeal and being confirmed for the Conference League. Key players Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze are being linked with moves away, adding to the instability.
- However, Palace showed their quality in the Community Shield win over Liverpool and proved in the FA Cup final that they can beat anyone on their day.
Score Prediction: Chelsea 3-1 Crystal Palace
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Chelsea vs Crystal Palace Lineups
Predicted lineups are provided by WhoScored.com.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs Crystal Palace
Robert Sánchez, Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah, Malo Gusto, Enzo Fernández, Moisés Caicedo, Jamie Gittens, Cole Palmer, João Pedro, Neto
Crystal Palace Predicted Lineup vs Chelsea
Dean Henderson, Chris Richards, Maxence Lacroix, Marc Guéhi, Tyrick Mitchell, Will Hughes, Adam Wharton, Daniel Muñoz, Eberechi Eze, Kaly Sarr, Jean-Philippe Mateta
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace Team News
Chelsea:
- Levi Colwill is out long-term with an ACL injury.
- Romeo Lavia remains sidelined with a muscle issue.
- Benoît Badiashile is still recovering from a knock.
- Jamie Gittens could start on the left.
- João Pedro is expected to lead the line after a strong pre-season.
Crystal Palace:
- Eddie Nketiah is out until October with a hamstring injury.
- Cheick Doucouré has suffered a setback and will miss several months.
- Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze are expected to start despite transfer speculation.
- Daichi Kamada is out with knee pain; Will Hughes may start in his place.
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Chelsea vs Crystal Palace Odds
| Result | Odds |
|---|---|
| Chelsea | 13/20 |
| Draw | 7/2 |
| Crystal Palace | 9/2 |
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace Bet Builder Tips
Our bet builder tips for Chelsea vs Crystal Palace include João Pedro Anytime Goalscorer, Marc Cucurella 2+ Fouls & Eberechi Eze 1+ Shot on Target.
At the time of publishing it is a best price of 12/1 with bet365.
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João Pedro – Anytime Goalscorer
Pedro has impressed in pre-season and looks set to be Chelsea’s main attacking outlet. He picked up three goals in three appearances at the Club World Cup and scored 10 for Brighton last season. -
Marc Cucurella – 2+ Fouls
The left-back is aggressive in duels and will be tested by Palace’s wide play. He will face the likes of Sarr and Eze who drew the most fouls in Crystal Palace's side last season. Sarr was the 12th most fouled player in the league last season and Eze was 22nd. -
Eberechi Eze – 1+ Shot on Target
Palace’s creative spark, Eze is always a threat. He averaged just under 1 shot on target per 90 last season and managed a shot on target both home and away against Chelsea last season.
