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Chelsea were hoping to secure their 6th consecutive victory in the Premier League when they welcomed Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace to Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Frank Lampard's men, who have been sensational this season went into the game full of confidence, especially after their incredible comeback against Ajax in the Champions League during midweek. However, they faced an experienced Crystal Palace side who have been on a bit of a roll themselves. Palace men started their Premier League campaign incredibly well and had already taken points from their visit to Old Trafford and the Emirates this season before visiting Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Chelsea made a lively start to the game and dominated the proceedings during the first quarter of the game. However, their performance dropped a bit after that and they failed to create anything for the remainder of the first half. They looked much better in the second half and opened the scoring through Tammy Abraham before Christian Pulisic, who has been in terrific form lately, killed the game with a poacher's goal.
Some players performed brilliantly during the game while others failed to live up to their reputation. Here are 5 hits and flops from the game.
#5 Tammy Abraham
Tammy Abraham has been in sensational form this season for Chelsea and continued his goalscoring run against Crystal Palace on Sunday. The 22-year-old struggled to get involved in the build-up play in the first half, and both Crystal Palace centre-backs deserve some credit for that. However, a striker of his quality needs just one opportunity to stamp his authority on the game. The Englishman calmly buried the ball in the back of the net from a beautiful flick from Willian into his path. The 22-year-old has now scored 10 goals in the Premier League, making him the top scorer of the season so far.
#4 Flop: Andros Townsend
Andros Townsend has been a clutch player for Crystal Palace on many previous occasions, especially against the big opposition. The 28-year-old is quick and has the ability to produce a moment of magic to win a game for his side. However, the Englishman looked out of sorts against Chelsea and was by far the worst player on the pitch. Townsend failed to manage even a single shot on target, created 0 chances and could manage just 1 cross into the box. Moreover, the attacker lost the possession more than any other player on the pitch. Townsend failed to justify his inclusion in the side against Chelsea and needs to step up his game.
#3 Hit: Willian
Willian was named the captain in the absence of Cesar Azpilicueta and he surely led his side by example on the pitch against Crystal Palace. The explosive winger looked lively throughout the game and caused the opposition defenders all sorts of problems, especially on the break. The Brazilian was the orchestrator for the Blues and created 5 chances during the 90 minutes, more than any other player on the pitch. He also grabbed an assist for Tammy Abraham's goal with a beautiful pass into the path of the striker.
#2 Flop: Wilfred Zaha
Wilfred Zaha was supposed to be the key for Crystal Palace in their hopes of to get any sort of positive result against Chelsea. However, the 26-year-old failed to influence the game to his liking and looked like a frustrated figure on the pitch. Though he was deprived of service by his teammate given the defensive approach of his team, he didn’t help himself by losing the ball on more than one occasion. The Ivorian hasn’t looked like his brilliant old self this season and it was another poor showing at Stamford Bridge by the talismanic forward.
#1 Hit: Christian Pulisic
Christian Pulisic, who struggled to get into Frank Lampard’s starting XI a month ago has now become a crucial part of the team. The 21-year-old has been in terrific form lately, scoring 4 goals in his last two league games, and the American was once again on the scoresheet against Crystal Palace. The former Borussia Dortmund man was their most dangerous player, especially in the first half, and looked like the one to make things happen on the pitch for Chelsea. Pulisic drove forward at every opportunity and his magnificent dribbling skills and close control caused Crystal Palace defenders all sorts of problems. The 21-year-old has started to live up to his lofty price tag and could end up being a fan favourite if he continues to perform like this.
