Young player Noni Madueke scored the winning goal in the 89th minute from the penalty spot to help Chelsea defeat Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.
The home team took the lead deservedly in the 13th minute after a good play from Malo Gusto, ending with the full-back delivering the ball to Mykhailo Mudryk, who scored from close range.
However, Palace equalized at the end of the first half when Michael Olise brought down Jordan Ayew’s cross and smashed a shot into the bottom corner of the goal.
Chelsea created numerous opportunities throughout the match, and it seemed that Mauricio Pochettino and his team would pay dearly for their inability to convert chances for the second consecutive match.
Nicolas Jackson appeared to have scored in the 77th minute when he tapped in Thiago Silva’s deep cross, but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) ruled that the forward was slightly offside.
However, Chelsea got the luck they needed in the final minutes when VAR spotted Eberechi Eze fouling substitute Madueke just inside the area. The England Under-21 forward expertly sent Palace keeper Dean Henderson the wrong way from the penalty spot.
Despite Chelsea appearing wasteful with their chances, they secured the victory at home.
Chelsea Dominant, Despite Ineffective Finishing
Chelsea deserved their victory, even though ineffective finishing seemed to be the main theme for The Blues throughout the season.
“We created many chances in this match,” said manager Pochettino to BBC Match of the Day. “I am very pleased with the team’s performance.”
Chelsea could have taken the lead earlier before their quick goal when Ian Maatsen went through on goal, and his effort deflected off Henderson, cleared off the line by Tyrick Mitchell.
The hosts continued to pose a greater threat after Mudryk’s goal, with the Ukrainian forward forcing Henderson into a diving save, Christopher Nkunku heading over from close range, and Jackson missing another wide attempt.
They even had an early penalty appeal when Nkunku went down in the box under pressure from Chris Richards, but VAR upheld referee Michael Salisbury’s decision to dismiss Chelsea’s appeals.
Henderson also did well to palm away Nkunku’s cross in the second half, with Jackson lurking behind him, and substitute Armando Broja hitting the side-netting.
This was Chelsea’s third successive home Premier League win, but only their sixth in 2023 as they moved up to 10th in the table.
“The Premier League is really tough, and we need to be consistent,” added Pochettino. “The first half of the season has been really up and down, and it’s been tough and difficult. But we’re positive and we need to show that we can compete.”
‘Tough Pill to Swallow’ as Palace Winless in Eight
Palace has not won since November 4, and Roy Hodgson’s team is now just three points above third-bottom Luton Town, who have played one game fewer.
Although they were second-best for much of the match, The Eagles still had several opportunities after the restart and had more shots overall than their hosts.
Eze fired a free-kick just wide, and Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta both forced Chelsea keeper Djordje Petrovic into fine stops at his near post.z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z z
“I think the team’s performance meant it was a tough pill to swallow,” Hodgson told BBC Match of the Day. “We’re near the bottom of the table, but the fact is we have had a difficult run of games.”
Since their last success, Palace has had reasons to be cheerful, including a battling point at Manchester City in December.
But there have also been gut-wrenching, last-gasp defeats against Liverpool and now Chelsea.
Palace needs to get back to winning ways quickly. They are eight league matches without a victory (D3 L5), their longest run without a win under Hodgson since an eight-game streak in June and July 2020.
“As far as I am concerned, there are 38 games in a season, and we’ve played half of them,” added the Palace boss. “Are we good enough? Do we have good enough players? I have every confidence the team will get victories.”
