LONDON (BN24) — Chelsea began their Premier League campaign with a disappointing goalless draw against Crystal Palace on Sunday, failing to capitalize on multiple second-half chances at Stamford Bridge.
Under new manager Enzo Maresca, the Blues controlled much of the game but were repeatedly denied by a disciplined Palace defense and missed opportunities from key players, including Marc Cucurella, Trevor Chalobah, Estevao, and Liam Delap.
The match’s most controversial moment came in the second half when Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze curled in a free-kick that briefly put the visitors ahead. However, VAR intervened, and the goal was disallowed after Marc Guehi was judged to have fouled a Chelsea player in the build-up.
Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez praised his team’s defensive solidity but acknowledged the result fell short of expectations.
“Obviously not the result we wanted, but I think the boys played well,” Sanchez told Sky Sports after the match. “We created the chances. It’s football. We take the clean sheet and move on.”
The Spaniard pointed to a shortened pre-season — caused by Chelsea’s participation in the FIFA Club World Cup — and several injuries as contributing factors to the team’s sluggish display in front of goal.
“We had two weeks of a quick pre-season and got some injuries,” Sanchez said. “We feel the fatigue — we didn’t have a long time to recover — but that’s football. You just have to take care of your body.”
On the disallowed goal, Sanchez said his vision was obstructed due to a foul in the wall. “Moises [Caicedo] gets pushed into the gap and that’s why I couldn’t see at all. The ball goes over my head — it has to be a foul, 100%,” he insisted.
The result sees Chelsea drop two valuable points at home just one game into the Premier League season, while Palace will be encouraged by their defensive discipline and resilience on the road.
Both sides will look to build on the result when they return to action next weekend.
