Crystal Palace 1 Chelsea 1

[JaneB]

Please use this thread for all posts relating to our Premier League match against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park before, during and after the game.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 15:00 hours on Saturday, 4th January 2025 (Local UK time/date)

[Mark Kelly]

Must win game. 

We won't. 

[My Blood Is Blue]

This is now huge. Has to be our strongest team and they all have to perform.

We will get our form back, sooner rather than later, I'm sure of it. It’s a blip, every team has them.

Keep the faith!

[Blue Moon]

Time for a captains innings.

Mr James: time to rise and be counted.

[chiswickblue]

Sanchez

Gusto Chalobah Colwill Chilwell

Ugochukwa Caicedo

Madueke Palmer Jackson

Osimhen

Hoping that the transfer window opens early enough.

[asvaberg]

We will win

We must win

We will be back! 

Come on you Blues 💙 💙 💙 

[Floyd25]

Great, another away game, the only hope we have is if Lavia is back. 

[CarefreeMuratcan]

Just like the previous 3 games, this is a must win...

[My Blood Is Blue]

[chara]

@My Blood Is Blue..I would hold Reece back for this one,,on the bench..play Chilwell at LB and move Cucu up,,,,can't be any worse than the ramshackle defence seen of late.

[Chelsea_Matt]

First of all a very happy and healthy 2025 to everyone here and to your families. We agree and disagree throughout the year but it’s never personal and I learn a lot from others’ views. So thank you and have a wonderful year! ♥️

Secondly: Come on Chels. Up and at ‘em!! 💥💥💥

[Ham]

4 hours ago, Chelsea_Matt said:

First of all a very happy and healthy 2025 to everyone here and to your families. We agree and disagree throughout the year but it’s never personal and I learn a lot from others’ views. So thank you and have a wonderful year! ♥️

Secondly: Come on Chels. Up and at ‘em!! 💥💥💥

The perfect Matt finish to the year

🤜🏻💥

[Chelsea_Matt]

1 hour ago, Ham said:

The perfect Matt finish to the year

🤜🏻💥

♥️💯😁

[My Blood Is Blue]

This feels like such a huge game for our season. Maybe I/we are over thinking it, but another defeat here and the pressure is going to be massive, not just in terms of league position and the disappearing gap between us and the other top 4 contenders, but also on the manager and the players. It quickly goes from a blip to a crisis in this sport (and especially this club) and the players and coach need to ensure that doesn't happen.

A convincing win in this and then a comfortable win from the 'B Team' in the Cup and the pressure will reduce and we can focus on getting back into form and some momentum. 

Football is a funny old game!

[flllerywhereru2]

We rarely win comfortably at Selhurst. Tight little ground and their playing style is  direct high energy and physical something we struggle with at times. I saw the Arsenal game there and they (arsenal) responded well to the setback of conceding an equaliser and picked palace off with clinical finishing. That is what we should have done V Fulham but couldn't get a second goal which we needed to win or even draw.  At Ipswich we in theory responded to the scandalous penalty decision well but for the VAR teams creative line drawing to screw us over. That took the wind out of our sails and we lost momentum/had a collective off day.

Hopefully this weekend we have a collective on day against Palace who have picked up their level recently.

 

 

[johnnybozo]

Got a feeling we'll give them a spanking but without Lavia in midfield it's hit or miss. 

[Holymoly]

[MickyDroy]

Fofana out for the season it seems.

Thats devestating. One would think thats his career with us down the drain too.

[Ham]

2 minutes ago, MickyDroy said:

Fofana out for the season it seems.

Thats devestating. One would think thats his career with us down the drain too.

Really sad news.  I feel so sorry for him.  It's a short career and he's making all the wrong memories.  

Ironic that RJ is supposed to be getting minutes tomorrow.  

I'm sure we'll all be watching him play from behind the sofa waiting for him to break down again. 

[MickyDroy]

6 minutes ago, Ham said:

Really sad news.  I feel so sorry for him.  It's a short career and he's making all the wrong memories.  

Ironic that RJ is supposed to be getting minutes tomorrow.  

I'm sure we'll all be watching him play from behind the sofa waiting for him to break down again. 

Terribly sad honestly. 3rd consecutive season for both James & Fofana who are both terrific players when fit but they just can't it seems.

Leave the club in pickle with PSR too in terms of replacements. Fofana was 75 odd million and he can't be worth much anymore so he'll be hard to move on/replace or whatever the club wants to try and do with the situation.

[Mark Kelly]

Terrible news , not just for us but for the player too , I think this is why Anselmino is back as he's quoted as saying " the coach wants me in the team" 

[Bert19]

7 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

Terrible news , not just for us but for the player too , I think this is why Anselmino is back as he's quoted as saying " the coach wants me in the team" 

Surely we need to bring Trev back too? And possibly expediate the search for that high-level CB we've been crying out for since Rudiger left?

Fofana's in a horrible spot - that's 4 big injuries under the age of 24.  He could be looking at retirement tbh. 

Edited January 3 by Bert19

[My Blood Is Blue]

After that Fofana news, the club need to be going all in on finding an elite level CB, it has to be the top priority before we sign anyone else. Anselmino is not the answer and Tosin isn’t either. Badiashile seems injury prone and not much better, whilst Disasi needs to be moved on asap. Our CB depth is awful and the club need to get on top of it.

Fofana for £75m after the injury he had, was always a big risk and it looks like one that hasn’t and now won’t pay off. 

[My Blood Is Blue]

4 minutes ago, Bert19 said:

Surely we need to bring Trev back too? And possibly expediate the search for that high-level CB we've been crying out for since Rudiger left?

Yeah, I’d get Chalobah back, he can deputise at RB for Gusto once James is injured again in a few weeks and will be a better CB partner for Colwill than the rest we now have here and fit.

[carrd]

28 minutes ago, MickyDroy said:

Fofana out for the season it seems.

Thats devestating. One would think thats his career with us down the drain too.

Lets hope he is fully insured.  If we must write off both fee and contract this season it will kill the finances.
Shame, easy to like him when he played and clear first choice with Colwill.

7 minutes ago, Bert19 said:

Fofana's in a horrible spot - that's 4 big injuries under the age of 24.  He could be looking at retirement tbh. 

Contract to 2029.  He'll be reasonably healthy just not an elite athlete.  Imagine if he had stayed at Leicester and had the same injury profile on his old contract.  And he has won an FA cup where he showed real bravery.  He may see this in context.