The West vs South London derby, Chelsea vs Crystal Palace, will close the curtains on Premier League home and away action for both teams in 2023.
The Blues will play hosts to the Eagles in a match pivotal to their chances of returning into the top 10 in the Premier League.
Palace finished one place above Chelsea last season. There is little separating them this season, but Chelsea are ahead, which is the difference. A win for the Blues will see them move further up the table, while a loss will see Palace go ahead of them, just like last season.
A repeat of the 2022/23 season is not what the Todd Boehly-led administration wants for their team after more than £4 billion investment following the ousting of Roman Abramovich.
Mauricio Pochettino knows Roy Hodgson well, and vice versa. The fact that it is a local derby also means that both teams will be intentional about their starting XIs.
Chelsea’s run of games will see them face Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sheffield United, Everton, Manchester United and Brighton in December. They will also face Newcastle United in the EFL Cup quarter finals. That is a tough run of games for any team to go through, but Palace have it more challenging.
Manchester City, Liverpool, West Ham United, Brighton and Hove Albion, and Bournemouth are the Eagles’ opponents in December. They could practically be gassed out when travelling across London to Stamford Bridge.
On the other hand, they could be in better shape due to the quality of the opponents they will face in that period.
Read on for match ticket information, team news and our predictions on the match’s outcome.
Match tickets
Looking for Chelsea vs Crystal Palace tickets? Ensure to be ready for the 21 November 2023 release date for Chelsea tickets to the game.
Crystal Palace tickets will come a little later. However, both clubs will prioritise their members for the game. This means that neutrals and tourists must sign up as club members to get access to tickets at reasonable prices.
The other, more preferred option is to get tickets on ticket reselling platforms. Neutrals and tourists should seek out platforms like Seatsnet.com with fair pricing and purchase directly from fans who cannot attend the game for various reasons after buying tickets.
The game will be played at Stamford Bridge on 27 December 2023. Kickoff time is 8:30 PM UTC. Fans worldwide can catch the game on the official Premier League broadcast partner for their region.
The game will also be available on streaming platforms. A streaming app and channel subscription are needed to access the Matchday 19 fixture.
Team news
Chelsea’s injury woes this season are well-publicised. Even the club has downplayed the return of Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia because of the tough run of fixtures in December. Mauricio Pochettino would hate to lose both after he just got them. Meanwhile, Wesley Fofana [ACL reconstruction], Trevoh Chalobah [thigh issue], Ben Chilwell [hamstring issue], and Carney Chukwuemeka [knee setback] will continue their recovery on the sidelines.
Crystal Palace have Michael Olise [hamstring tear and setback], Nathan Ferguson [hamstring surgery], Dean Henderson [thigh problem] and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi [hamstring issue] out of commission for the trip to Chelsea. James Tomkins returned in early December, but his game time is being managed not to send him back to the physiotherapist. Roy Hodgson has no suspended players to worry about.
Lineups
Pochettino will go a little softer with his Chelsea vs Crystal Palace lineup, although the team he will put out will have enough quality to take on the big sides. The fixture congestion in December will allow him to rest Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo. Raheem Sterling will be rested for Nkunku in attack, and Noni Madueke will take Mykhailo Mudryk’s place. Armando Broja will start ahead of Nicolas Jackson for rotation purposes.
Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Colwill, Silva, Cucurella; Lavia, Gallagher; Madueke, Palmer, Nkunku; Broja.
Crystal Palace’s only rotation will be in midfield, with Eberechi Eze coming in for Will Hughes in the attacking midfield position. The club’s core will remain unchanged because of the high stakes involved in the game. Sam Johnstone could also be benched if Dean Henderson is declared fit enough for the team, as his return date is still unknown.
Crystal Palace: Johnstone; Ward, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Doucoure, Lerma; Ayew, Eze, Schlupp; Edouard.
Prediction
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace on matchday 19 of the 2023/24 Premier League season is going to be a simple game. Palace will play conservative football and attempt to channel every attack through Eze.
This is where Chelsea will face their biggest challenge because if Eze brings his A-game on that day, the rest will be left to Odsonne Édouard to score the goals created from the chances of Eze’s play. Chelsea, meanwhile, will use their wings and Cole Palmer, who will be occupying the Eze role for the Blues, will not be left out. In summary, Chelsea’s attacking prowess leaves more room for chances created. The rest will be up to the strikers. The three points will stay at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea 2-1 Crystal Palace
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