Chelsea continued their upswing under Liam Rosenior with a 3–1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park today, but the scoreline only really pulled clear after a ruthless spell either side of half-time and a penalty decision that left the hosts seething.
Palace actually started with more snap and purpose, forcing Chelsea into a couple of awkward moments at the back, and they carved out the first big chance inside eight minutes when Ismaïla Sarr’s pressure helped spring Jean-Philippe Mateta in from a tight angle. Mateta tried to roll his finish across goal, only for Robert Sánchez to stick out a boot and divert it away, a save that proved massive in the flow of the afternoon.
That early warning didn’t immediately wake Chelsea up, and the first half was a slightly scruffy contest—plenty of energy, plenty of duels, but few clean openings. Enzo Fernández blazed over when a half-clearance dropped kindly, and Palace had a spell where they looked the more likely to score, especially from long throws and early balls into the “corridor” between goalkeeper and defence.
The moment that changed everything came on 34 minutes, and it was brutally self-inflicted: a loose Palace backpass was anticipated on the halfway line by 18-year-old Estêvão, who exploded into space, outpaced the recovering Tyrick Mitchell and finished decisively beyond Dean Henderson to put Chelsea ahead against the run of play.
Palace tried to respond, but Chelsea carried the sharper threat in transition and Estêvão almost doubled the lead before the interval with a rising effort that flashed across the face of goal. When the second half began, Chelsea were immediately more purposeful, and they struck again within five minutes. Estêvão and João Pedro combined down the right, João Pedro shimmied inside in the box with clever footwork and drilled a low finish past Henderson to make it 2–0 and tilt the game heavily in Chelsea’s favour.
From there, Palace’s afternoon began to unravel. A chaotic moment followed when João Pedro’s effort deflected up onto Jaydee Canvot—initially looking accidental and unfortunate—before a lengthy review ended with a handball decision and a Chelsea penalty. With Cole Palmer absent, Fernández stepped up and converted to extend the lead to three. Shortly afterwards, any realistic comeback hopes were crushed when Adam Wharton collected two quick yellow cards for sliding challenges and was sent off, leaving Selhurst Park deflated and Palace down to 10 men.
Even then, Palace showed a bit of spirit. Brennan Johnson saw a low effort deflect narrowly wide, and there was a loud roar for Chadi Riad’s return from a long injury layoff as he came off the bench—his first senior appearance in over a year.
Palace finally found a consolation goal on 88 minutes when a goalmouth scramble ended with Chris Richards glancing in from close range, denying Sánchez a clean sheet and giving the home support something to cling to in the closing minutes, which stretched into a lengthy added-time period as Palace continued to push with pride rather than expectation.
Rosenior’s post-match verdict focused less on the individual highlights and more on the collective work he believes is starting to show, pointing to Estêvão’s opener as a perfect example—Chelsea had all 11 men behind the ball before breaking, which created the space for the teenager to burst through.
Rosenior called Estêvão a “special talent” and praised his impact despite having been ill, while also acknowledging there’s still plenty to tidy up defensively after conceding late again. In the Palace camp, Oliver Glasner lamented the costly errors and how quickly confidence drained after going behind, but insisted there were positives in the first half and even after the red card, noting that his side still managed to create openings and must use that as fuel to turn their form around.
For Chelsea, it was another step in the right direction—clinical finishing, big moments seized, and a youthful spark at the heart of it. For Palace, it was the kind of afternoon that feels heavier than the scoreline: a strong start, a single mistake punished, then a chain of setbacks—two quick goals, a penalty, and a red card—that turned a competitive game into a long, difficult chase.
