Chelsea made an unconvincing start to the Premier League as Crystal Palace were held to a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge.
After a shortened pre-season due to the Club World Cup triumph, it was clear that Chelsea lacked both fitness and recovery as Oliver Glasner's side struggled against the hosts' newly-minted but disorganised attack.
Eberechi Eze started for Palace despite transfer rumours and if fans had any questions about the loyalty of the player whose goal won the FA Cup in May, they were dispelled when he was replaced in the final minutes to loud applause.
The English legionnaire became the main intrigue of the match, masterfully converting a penalty in the first half. However, the goal was cancelled after Marc Guehi blocked the Chelsea wall, which caused indignation among the away fans.
Nicholas Jackson, as expected, was left out of Enzo Maresca's first team squad after failing to fit into the manager's plans, while Newcastle explored a deal, while Joao Pedro took over the No.9 position in place of new signing Liam Delap.
Chelsea played their first match 35 days after their triumph over PSG in the US club championship final and already in the first half they showed signs of mental exhaustion and a minimum of creativity.
Marc Cucurella created the first dangerous moment, heading the ball into the far corner, where Ismaila Sarr dived to clear the ball off the goal line.
In the 15th minute, Eze seemed to live up to the media's predictions by sending an unstoppable free-kick through the centre of the Blues' defence. But the video assistant revealed that Guehi had unfairly forced Moises Caicedo out of the ball's path.
Immediately after, Jean-Philippe Mateta broke into the penalty area, but a shot close to Robert Sanchez allowed the goalkeeper to save, sending the ball aside.
The first half did not offer any attacks to delight the home fans, but they were loudly cheered by 19-year-old Josh Acheampong's precise and brutal tackle on Daniel Munoz. The young defender was making his third Premier League start, given the long absence of Levi Colville and Wesley Fofana's time in reserve.
After Maresca's call to use his internal resources to solve defensive problems, the academy graduate staked his claim to a permanent place in the squad, showing a mature game and resilience that was met with approval from a reserved crowd.
Chelsea's best opportunity of the half came through Trevoh Chalobah, who fired over the bar from eight yards after a fine pass from debutant Jamie Gittens.
Estevan Willian came on in the 53rd minute and immediately beat Guehi in a high-speed run down the flank, and then found Enzo Fernandes with a precise pass, who was unable to beat the goalkeeper.
The 18-year-old Brazilian, despite the hype surrounding his move from Palmeiras, showed his immaturity by losing his balance and sending a shot over the target before being shown a yellow card for a clash with Munoz.
Eze almost became the hero of the match at the end, shooting into the corner, but Sanchez parried the shot, and on the other half, Delap shot straight into the hands of Dean Henderson.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
