Chelsea 2-1 Crystal Palace: Madueke's late penalty earns Blues much needed win

Palace have had a difficult time against the Blues in recent years, but you wouldn't have guessed that from the way Roy Hodgson's team started the match in West London.

The Eagles were pressing effectively and playing with confidence, and they had a chance to score when Eberechi Eze's free-kick narrowly missed the right post.

Chelsea fielded their youngest-ever Premier League starting line-up, with an average age of 23 years and 21 days, and they celebrated that milestone with a beautifully executed goal just before the 15-minute mark.

Malo Gusto initiated the attack with a fantastic turn in midfield and then sprinted down the left wing, setting up Mykhailo Mudryk for a superb first-time finish.

Christopher Nkunku also had a productive first half, but unfortunately missed a close-range shot from Nicolas Jackson's pass. The Frenchman was involved in the action again moments later, delivering a fantastic cross-field ball to Gusto, who then set up Ian Maatsen for a wide shot.

Despite Chelsea's hard work, they were undone by a player who has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. Michael Olise equalized with a casually brilliant finish, controlling Jordan Ayew's excellent pass with his chest and smashing a left-footed strike past Dorde Petrovic just before halftime.

The momentum of this captivating match shifted in favor of Palace, as Eze came close to scoring from another set-piece and Jean-Philippe Mateta's shot was saved by Petrović after turning past Benoît Badiashile on the right flank.

Mauricio Pochettino would have been frustrated with his team's comparatively sluggish performance in the second half, but Jackson had a golden opportunity to restore their lead in a one-on-one with Dean Henderson, only to fire wide.

Jackson appeared to have redeemed himself for his previous miss with a precise first-time finish from Thiago Silva's cross. However, the goal was disallowed by VAR for offside, highlighting the frustrating nature of his career at Chelsea thus far.

Nevertheless, Palace's determined efforts in the second half seemed to be undone when referee Michael Salisbury reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor and awarded a penalty after Eze brought down substitute Madueke in the box.

With composure, Madueke confidently converted the spot-kick, leaving Henderson with no chance and filling Stamford Bridge with a palpable sense of relief.

This penalty ultimately proved to be the deciding factor, pushing Pochettino's team down to 10th place in the table and condemning the Eagles to their 13th consecutive defeat against Chelsea in all competitions.

On the other hand, the statistics paint a less positive picture for the Blues, as they have now conceded 59 Premier League goals in 2023, marking their highest number in the history of the division.