Big Match Breakdown: Chelsea v Crystal Palace

Betting Preview and odds for Premier League clash

Chelsea will be looking to keep up the heat on Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the Premier League when they take on Crystal Palace this afternoon.

The Blues are still unbeaten under Maurizio Sarri. But Palace have developed a habit of picking up points at Stamford Bridge in recent years.

Who will prevail this time, live on Sky Sports Main Event from 4pm?

Head-to-Head

The Blues battled to a 2-1 win when the sides last met at the Bridge in March. That was their first three-point haul at home to the Eagles since May 2015. Alan Pardew and then Sam Allardyce led Palace to successive victories in West London in both the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons.

Chelsea still boast the better overall record in the fixture, with 25 wins to Palace’s 12. There have also been 15 draws, although the fixture is without a stalemate in its last 15 iterations.

Likely XIs

Sarri looks set to welcome back Eden Hazard, after the Belgian talisman missed the last three matches. He should slot in on the left side of a front-three, which also features Alvaro Morata and Willian. The regular back five, including the goalkeeper, will also be restored following the midweek Carabao Cup win over Derby County.

Palace should stick with the same XI which picked up a valuable point at home to Arsenal last weekend. That means Wilfried Zaha alongside Jordan Ayew, with Cheikhou Kouyate and Luka Milivojevic pulling the strings in midfield.

Key Battles

Can James Tomkins and co. shackle Hazard effectively? If they can’t, then Palace could be in trouble. He and Willian will look to occupy the spaces created by Morata, while Chelsea’s mobile midfield three could overrun the often erratic Eagles midfield two.