An impressive team performance at Selhurt Park saw the Blues get 2016 off to the perfect start as goals from Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa secured a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace.
Oscar‘s first-half opener set us on our way to a well-earned win and two further goals after the break – including a stunning Willian strike – ensured it was an afternoon to remember for the travelling Chelsea faithful.
Eden Hazard was forced out of the action early in the game after picking up an injury, which will give Guus Hiddink cause for concern, but that was the only disappointment as we made it four games unbeaten and picked up a first win on the road in the Premier League since August.
There were two changes to the team which drew at Old Trafford last Monday as Diego Costa returned from suspension and Cesc Fabregas was back from illness. Pedro and Nemanja Matic were the players who dropped down to the bench, but the Spaniard was called to action soon.
With Gary Cahill still out injured, captain John Terry was partnered by Kurt Zouma at the heart of the back four, and further forward it was Willian, Oscar and Hazard deployed in the attacking midfield positions.
The home side were the first to threaten after just six minutes and it was a decent opportunity. Joel Ward swung a cross in from the right-hand side and as Fraizer Campbell got in front of Zouma, the striker guided his effort wide.
Wilfried Zaha then fizzed a strike inches wide of the post from outside the penalty area moments later as Palace looked to seize the early initiative.
Our first real foray into the attacking third ended with Hazard‘s long-range strike taking a deflection and going behind for a corner, and from the resulting delivery Branislav Ivanovic did well to head the ball back into the danger zone, only for Palace to hook it to safety.
It was an entertaining start to the contest and Terry had to be alert as Campbell looked to burst into the box, the skipper producing a well-timed tackle to win possession.
After just 16 minutes Hiddink was forced into our first change of the afternoon as Hazard, who appeared to be in some discomfort after his shot a few minutes earlier, signalled to the bench he was unable to play any further part.
Pedro replaced the Belgian, immediately taking up a position wide on the left and the Spaniard was quickly into the action, seeing his strike charged down having been found by Oscar at the culmination of a free-flowing move.
As Jason Puncheon released Zaha into the box with a quickly-taken free-kick there was no margin for error as Zouma raced across to make the tackle, and the Frenchman timed his challenge magnificently.
The best chance of the game up until that point then fell the way of the home side as Campbell arrived at the back post to meet a Puncheon cross, but the connection was a poor one and the forward sliced his effort harmlessly wide with Courtois untested.
It was a chance Alan Pardew’s sidewere made to rue as moments later we took the lead with our first attack of any note.
Fabregas produced a lovely pass to release Diego Costa down the right-hand side, taking Damien Delaney out of the game in the process. The striker advanced towards goal and got away from one challenge, before shaping to shoot and unselfishly rolling it back into the path of Oscar who tapped into an empty net.
Just as in last season’s corresponding fixture, the Brazilian had given us a crucial advantage in the contest.
Palace were quickly on the front foot as they looked to hit back immediately, and Chung-yong Lee wasn’t far away from restoring parity with a drive which flew just over the bar.
At the other end, meanwhile, Cesar Azpilicueta came close to extending our advantage when he raced on to an intelligent Oscar pass over the top and fired left-footed towards goal, thwarted only by a good Wayne Hennessey save low down.
Our midfielders were beginning to see more of the ball as the half progressed, with Fabregasin particular looking to feed Diego Costa and the two wide men – Pedro and Willian – at every opportunity.
Oscar was operating in the ‘number 10’ position but when we didn’t have the ball he was filling in alongside Fabregas and Mikel defensively to make it a midfield three, as opposed to a two, and while Palace undoubtedly remained a threat, they were yet to seriously testCourtois as the half-time whistle sounded.
There were no changes to either side at the break and the impressive Mikel produced a brilliant challenge to dispossess Zaha as Palace attempted to counter with the numbers in their favour.
A minute later we should have doubled our lead as Zouma stole in at the far post to meet a wonderful Willian free-kick, but the defender headed over the bar from a great position. His reaction suggested the player himself was well aware of just how good an opportunity he’d passed up.
With the Blues chasing a potentially decisive second goal and Palace pushing for an equaliser it was developing into a frenetic contest, and the home side were next to go close.
The ball was worked forward to Campbell who shifted it to Zaha on his left, but after his first touch took it away from him, the winger’s eventual effort was weak and easy forCourtois to gather.
As the 60-minute mark approached, and with our next attack, it was 2-0 to the Blues.
A well-worked move involving Fabregas, Oscar and Willian saw us positioned in and around the edge of the Palace penalty area. Scott Dann challenged Oscar 20 yards from goal, and as the loose ball arrived at the feet of Willian, the Brazilian dispatched a superb right-footed strike into the top corner.
After tussling with Ivanovic for possession just inside the Chelsea penalty area and going to ground, Zaha saw a half-hearted penalty appeal waved away and six minutes after going 2-0 ahead we added a third.
With the hosts pouring forward to find a route back into the game, gaps at the back inevitably began to appear. The Blues broke at pace, with Willian beating James McArthur easily and as he rolled it across goal, Hennessey could only push it towards the feet of Diego Costa, who gratefully made it 3-0.
It was the striker’s third goal in two games and no more than his performance had merited.
As the game edged towards its conclusion Oscar came close to adding a fourth, evading two challenges before his low drive was blocked, while Diego Costa met a Willian cross at the far post and volleyed marginally over the bar.
Palace, clearly affected by the third goal, struggled to get in behind a Chelsea defence which had seldom been troubled throughout and we saw the game out with little fuss.
Attention now turns towards the FA Cup and next Sunday’s third round game against Scunthorpe United at Stamford Bridge.
- Match stats:
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry (c), Azpilicueta; Mikel, Fabregas;Willian, Oscar ( Matic 88), Hazard (Pedro 16); Diego Costa.
Unused substitutes: Begovic, Baba, Loftus-Cheek, Ramires, Traore
Scorers Oscar 29, Willian 60, Diego Costa 66
Crystal Palace (4-3-2-1): Hennessey; Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare; Lee (Williams 82), Jedinak (c) (Ledley 68), McArthur; Puncheon, Zaha; Campbell (Chamakh 68).
Unused substitutes: McCarthy, Kelly, Mutch, Sako
Booked Delaney 13, Dann 80
Referee Kevin Friend
Crowd 24, 854
- Match report by chelseafc.com / Foto: Darren Walsh
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