Chelsea and Crystal Palace renew their London rivalry at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with the Blues looking to break a frustrating pattern after failing to beat the Eagles home or away last season.
Both sides enter in strong form, with Chelsea's Joao Pedro already netting five goals in five appearances since his arrival, while Palace carry the confidence of their Community Shield penalty shootout victory over Liverpool despite injury concerns around Marc Guehi.
The head-to-head record heavily favours Chelsea with Palace winless in their last six meetings, but the Eagles' impressive away form—losing just two of their last 15 road matches—suggests this London derby could be closer than the odds suggest.
Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace prediction: who will win?
For today's Chelsea vs Crystal Palace matchup, our predictive model gives the Blues a 75% chance of defeating the Eagles.
Chelsea: 75% win probability
- Home advantage at Stamford Bridge where they've historically dominated Palace
- Fresh squad with no fatigue from Gameweek 1, having not played yet (0 games played)
- Superior squad depth and quality compared to Palace's mid-table resources
Crystal Palace: 25% win probability
- No competitive match experience this season, sitting in 13th with 0 games played
- Lack of early-season momentum compared to teams that have already secured points
- Historical struggles at Stamford Bridge against top-six opposition
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model harnesses insights from top Premier League football experts.
Instead of scouring hundreds of analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to gauge the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analysing football predictions, statistics, and expert opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. These confidence levels are then averaged to create an 'expert opinion' win probability—capturing the collective intelligence of the football industry's most respected Premier League analysts.
| Chelsea | Crystal Palace | Draw | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Match Result |
Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace preview
Chelsea kick off their Premier League campaign with a real test against Crystal Palace, who've made a habit of spoiling the Blues' home parties lately with draws in both fixtures last season.
The Eagles arrive at Stamford Bridge fresh off their Community Shield penalty shootout victory over Liverpool, showing the kind of mental steel that made them one of the division's toughest away teams last term.
New signing Joao Pedro has hit the ground running with five goals in five Chelsea appearances, setting up a fascinating striker battle with Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta, who troubled Liverpool's defence at Wembley.
Both sides are dealing with defensive concerns as Chelsea miss Levi Colwill's presence while Palace sweat over Marc Guehi's fitness amid ongoing transfer speculation around the England international.
Enzo Maresca's side finished last season strongly at home, winning eight of their final nine Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge, but Palace have proven they travel well with just two away defeats in their last 15 road trips.
This London derby promises another tight affair between two clubs who've enjoyed excellent summers, though their contrasting pre-season schedules could play a factor in the opening exchanges.
Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace form
