The Eagles travelled to Stamford Bridge to face the Blues on match-week 20. Both the sides have struggled in their last few fixtures and hoped to take advantage of the opposition’s vulnerability and come out on top.
Patrick Vieira’s side failed to break open Chelsea’s well organized defence on the day. Graham Potter must’ve experienced great relief after his team finally managed to secure their second victory since October. Palace did impose a decent amount of threat in the latter stages of the game but CFC were determined and deserved the three points at the end of 90 minutes. There were multiple players who impressed the home fans, though three Blues stood out from the rest.
1. Conor Gallagher, Chelsea
Gallagher was successful yet again in haunting his former club with a fine performance. He managed to win 15 duels in a single game which is more than any other midfielder in the Premier League this season. After Denis Zakaria’s injury against Fulham, there were doubts over the Englishman’s ability to fill in the void. Nevertheless, the young, hard-working midfielder proved his metal and also added a lot of attacking prowess to his game. Gallagher was found exploiting gaps on the right side of Palace’s defence right from kick-off. The for Eagles loanee’s lung-bursting display will definitely be rewarded by Potter in the near future.
2. Thiago Silva
Time and time again the veteran proves to be blessing to this football club. The 38 year old centreback has been so consistent with his performances that the fans have started to find it ordinary these days. Silva has helped the sluggish Chelsea defence relentlessly and must’ve been glad to find support alongside Benoit Badiashile, who complemented the Brazilian very well.
The duo worked hard in supporting the Spaniard in goal to earn a clean sheet. Typically, Silva was the heart of the defence and a massive threat to the the Eagle’s backline from set-pieces. The Brazil icon almost found the back of the net but his left-footed effort was saved brilliantly by Vincente Guaita.
3. Hakim Ziyech
Hakim Ziyech’s spell at Chelsea has been rather unsuccessful. Ever since he left Ajax for the Blues, the wizard’s mastery has not worked in his favor for some reason. This season, Ziyech’s dire performances led to him losing the faith of much of the faithful, to the extent that some wanted him gone in this winter transfer window itself.
However, Morocco’s venturesome World Cup campaign revived the wingman’s CFC career. Ziyech looked very sharp throughout his nation’s historic run. The fanbase was eager to watch Ziyech pull off those tricks in a Chelsea shirt any which way he could!
Although, with Raheem Sterling, Christian Pulisic and Joao Felix unavailable, the tricky star had minimal struggles getting into the starting XI. And for a change, Ziyech was prosperous and repaid supporters who had belief in him via a splendid showing. He had the most passes into the final third, most passes into the opposition box and also completed more take-ons than any other player. Ziyech also contributed effectively to the right side of the defence winning possession seven times. CFC fans can only hope for him to put in such shifts regularly in times of such crisis, literally any help could prove to be significant in order to compete at the highest level.
Apart from this chosen trio, there are two more who deserve a fair shout. Badiashile, the 6’4″ debutant had a consequential impact on the game. He enjoyed a 100 per cent tackle rate and made the most clearances on the pitch. His almost flawless display will ease some pressure off Graham Potter as the left side of the defence looked unsubstantial for most parts of the campaign.
Kepa Arrizabalaga was challenged on numerous occasions, too, but his acrobatics help the Blues not to concede at all from their rivals’ shot. After further concinnity, CFC will look forward to making their comeback – but for it to be successful, the defence must stay persistent as well as disciplined.