Chelsea’s hopes of a much-needed win were dashed when Crystal Palace equalized late on in a 1-1 draw, leaving the Blues without a win in four Premier League matches and looking nervously over their shoulders in the race for a Champions League place.
Jean-Philippe Mateta scored in the 82nd minute with a shot from close range after receiving a ball from Eberechi Eze. The goal was enough to allay Palace’s fears of relegation and deprive Chelsea of the three points.
Chelsea deservedly took the lead in the 14th minute through Cole Palmer, who fired a powerful shot into the net after a wonderful pass from Jadon Sancho.
Clever winger movements down the left wing saw him evade his marker and set up Palmer to score in the opener.
Despite dominating the first half, Chelsea struggled to finish the game, and Palace took advantage.
With this draw, Chelsea remains in fourth place with 34 points, just one point behind Newcastle United, who is in fifth place, who previously beat Tottenham 2-1.
On the other hand, Crystal Palace moved up to 15th place, six points above the relegation zone.
After a first half in which Chelsea dominated the ball, Palace came out stronger in the second half, as Eze blocked a shot from Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and Chris Richards tested Sanchez with another attempt.
Chelsea had opportunities to increase their lead, as Enzo Fernandes and Nicholas Jackson narrowly missed the goal before Matita equalized.
Chelsea’s recent form, including losses to Ipswich Town and Fulham and a 0-0 draw against Everton, has raised concerns about their ability to challenge for the title.
Coach Enzo Maresca urged his players to finish the match after the end of the first half, but poor finishing led to wasting the opportunities they had.