Chelsea’s winless streak continues with 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace

Chelsea’s Premier League struggles extended to a fourth game as Jean-Philippe Mateta’s late strike secured a 1-1 draw for Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.  

The Blues seemed poised to claim their first league win of 2025 when Cole Palmer opened the scoring in the 14th minute, finishing off a well-crafted move involving Jadon Sancho.

It was Palmer’s 13th league goal of the season, and his clinical display looked set to end Chelsea’s winless run.

Despite dominating the first half, Chelsea’s wastefulness in front of goal proved costly. Nicolas Jackson squandered three clear opportunities, while efforts from Sancho, Moises Caicedo, and Josh Acheampong failed to trouble Palace goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

Crystal Palace offered little threat in the opening period, with Jefferson Lerma’s tame 35th-minute effort their only shot on target.

However, they came to life in the second half, with Eberechi Eze narrowly missing the target shortly after the restart, a warning Chelsea failed to heed.

Although Chelsea continued to create chances, with Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernandez, and Jackson all firing wide, their lack of precision kept Palace in the game.

The home side capitalized late on, with Eze setting up Mateta for a close-range finish in the 81st minute, ensuring the Eagles extended their unbeaten run to three games.

The result leaves Chelsea in fourth place, frustrated by their inability to capitalize on opportunities, while Crystal Palace sit 15th, buoyed by their resilience against a top-four opponent.

For Chelsea, the inability to turn dominance into victories continues to hinder their campaign as they search for consistency in 2025.