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Former Premier League forward Michael Owen believes Chelsea will not have it all their way against Crystal Palace, but should emerge victorious on Saturday.
The Blues will return to Premier League action after their Club World Cup exploits last week.
Thomas Tuchel’s side beat Palmeiras to win their first-ever Club World Cup title, but a stern test awaits them in the Premier League.
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Crystal Palace have played well in patches, but results have not gone their way. The Eagles are currently on a five-game winless streak that stretches back to December 2021.
Owen explained that while the Pensioners should emerge as 2-1 winners, Crystal Palace will push them.
The former forward told BetVictor:
“Palace haven’t been playing badly, but that’s now two defeats in a row. They need some luck to go their way, but they also need to take some of their chances. They’ve got a lot of attacking quality, so I think the results will pick up."
He added:
“Chelsea have had a week off after winning the Club World Cup, and I’d expect them to come back in good form. They’ve got a big couple of months ahead of them, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them lift some more silverware. This will be an even game, but I think Chelsea will have too much quality for Palace. 2-1.”
Chelsea will look to close the gap on Manchester City
Thomas Tuchel’s side are underdogs for the Premier League title, but will hope to close the gap on Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola’s side have a tough game against Tottenham Hotspur, so the Blues should look to take advantage as Manchester City could drop points.
Tuchel’s side ended a four-game winless streak in the league with a win over Tottenham just before the winter break.
They should start as favorites against Palace, but the Eagles tend to do well against teams at Selhurst Park.
Chelsea will need to ensure they don’t let their levels drop, something they have quite a few times in recent months in the Premier League.
