Crystal Palace v Chelsea Preview: Classic Encounter, Team News & Predictions

Crystal Palace and Chelsea meet on Saturday at Selhurst Park in a crucial fixture for both clubs. 

Palace will be looking for anything to try and kick start their season following a dismal start to the campaign. To score a goal will be an achievement for Roy Hodgson's side and the fans, following the failure to score in the opening seven fixtures. 

Chelsea will be looking to bounce back at the first attempt after the international break following a poor performance at home to early table toppers Manchester City, losing 1-0. 

Classic Encounter

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In the last 12 games against Chelsea, the Eagles have come out on top only three times, but the performance in the most recent meeting between the sides last season at Stamford Bridge will certainly give Palace some hope. 

looked to be unbeatable at the time, but Palace came and did a job, coming out with an impressive 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge. The game saw three goals, but they all came inside the first 11 minutes.

Palace hadn't lost hope and only four minutes after falling behind, they found a leveller. Wilf Zaha fired a shot from the edge of the box to see the visitors draw level, and two minutes after their equaliser Palace took the lead as target man Christian Benteke found the target.

Team News

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Roy Hodgson will have a few absentees from the game on Saturday, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek unable to play against his parent club. Benteke will also be missing following his injury, so Bakary Sako looks set to be given the nod to try and find Palace's first Premier League goal of the season. 

Wilfried Zaha is racing to be fit to feature on Saturday after he returned to training from a knee injury.

Antonio Conte has a few selection issues as well, with Alvaro Morata and N'Golo Kante both picking up hamstring injuries in recent weeks. They are both doubts for fixture on Saturday but Morata has more of a chance to feature. 

Danny Drinkwater is still injured, so Fabregas and Bakayoko are the likely ones to start with no other established midfielders fit. 

Potential Crystal Palace Starting Lineup: Hennessey; Fosu-Mensah, Dann, Sakho, Van Aanholt; Zaha, Cabaye, Puncheon, Milivojevic; Sako.

Potential Chelsea Starting Lineup: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, David Luiz; Alonso, Bakayoko, Fabregas, Moses; Hazard, Pedro, Morata.

Prediction

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With Chelsea having key players in N'Golo Kante - a man who runs the midfield - and Alvaro Morata, Chelsea's talisman, potentially out, the Blues will find it difficult.

It was a close affair is this fixture last year with Diego Costa scoring the only goal to see Chelsea come away with a 1-0 win to continue their winning streak. Palace haven't scored all campaign and despite having glorious chances to find the net, it will be hard to break the Blues down. 

Chelsea still have a whole array of talent despite the few missing out and with that, Palace will eventually break and one chance will be taken away. It won't be a high scoring fixture, but the game should see a few goals as recent history has shown us. 

Prediction: Crystal Palace 0-2 Chelsea