Chelsea will target a return to winning form in the Premier League when they host London rivals Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, 10 March 2018, kick-off at 19h30 CAT.
The Blues come into the game having suffered back-to-back losses in Manchester: 2-1 against United on February 25 and 1-0 against City on March 4. The results have left them in fifth place, some five points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, and in very real danger of missing out on qualification for the UEFA Champions League next season.
Coach Antonio Conte adopted incredibly defensive tactics against City last weekend – these will surely be discarded at home against a relegation candidate, though the Italian manager doesn’t seem to trust either Alvaro Morata or Olivier Giroud to play as the team’s centre-forward, instead opting for a ‘false nine’ in the shape of Eden Hazard – a role which doesn’t play to the Belgian’s strengths.
As for Palace, they put in a fine showing against Manchester United on Monday, but conceded a last-gasp goal to lose 3-2 at home. The result leaves them in the relegation zone – third from bottom – though they are only one point from safety.
In the Eagles’ battle against the dreaded drop, this match against Chelsea is one where manager Roy Hodgson will fancy his side’s chances of winning some bonus points – especially given their hosts’ stuttering form and the pressure mounting on his counterpart Conte.
In head-to-head stats, Chelsea and Palace have met in 32 matches across all competitions. The Blues have claimed 17 wins compared to six for the Eagles, while nine games have been drawn.
The teams’ most recent meeting was a Premier League clash in October 2017 at Selhurst Park which was won 2-1 by Palace. It was the Eagles’ second successive win over the Blues, having triumphed 2-1 at Stamford Bridge at the back end of last season.
Recent league form, latest results first
| Chelsea | L | L | W | L | L |
| Palace | L | L | L | D | D |
Head-to-head, all competitions
Matches played 32
Chelsea wins 17
Palace wins 6
Draws 9
Chelsea goals 54
Palace goals 28