Football
EPL: Crystal Palace vs Chelsea Preview: Tips, Odds, and Prediction
SportsBoom previews the English Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea at Selhurst Park in London on Saturday, 4 January 2025. With excitement building and anticipation growing ahead of kickoff, Premier League betting fans are already diving into the odds and assessing both teams, hoping to find the best value betting platforms. For a detailed, in-depth look at the match, be sure to check out our full preview.
Christopher Nkunku and Matheus França//Getty Images
Chelsea will be looking to continue their title challenge by picking up all three points on offer. As of the 25th of December 2024, the Blues sit in second place on the Premier League table with 35 points from 17 matches played with ten wins, five draws and two defeats.
Meanwhile, an improving Crystal Palace side currently occupies 16th position on the table with 16 points from 17 games played which includes 3 wins, 7 draws and 7 losses.
Chelsea is unbeaten in their last five games against Crystal Palace with four wins for the Blues and one draw. The most recent match between the teams was played on the 1st of September 2024 and on that occasion, the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
PRE-GAME ODDS AND WIN PROBABILITY: CHELSEA CLEAR FAVOURITES
Home: 31/10 (4.10) - 24,4%
Draw: 29/10 (3.90) - 25,6%
Away: 83/100 (1.83) - 54,6%
*Odds courtesy of Betway, subject to change.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
Last Five Meetings (Premier League)
01/09/24: Chelsea 1-1 Crystal Palace
12/02/24: Crystal Palace 1-3 Chelsea
27/12/23: Chelsea 2-1 Crystal Palace
15/01/23: Chelsea 1-0 Crystal Palace
01/10/22: Crystal Palace 1-2 Chelsea
CRYSTAL PALACE: CURRENT FORM - DLLWD
Crystal Palace played out to a 0-0 draw against Bournemouth on the 26th of December. Before this game, they lost twice in a row against Arsenal. The first game against the Gunners ended in a 3-2 defeat.
The second match against the same opposition ended in a 5-1 victory for Arsenal. Prior to these matches against the Gunners, Crystal Palace beat Brighton and Hove Albion 3-1, drew 2-2 against Manchester City and they defeated Ipswich Town 1-0.
KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Jean-Philippe Mateta: The Crystal Palace forward plays high up the pitch and has great finishing abilities and a good eye for goal. Expect him to cause Chelsea’s backline problems.
- Ismaila Sarr: The Senegalese forward has shown his class in the last few games for Crystal Palace. Ismaila Sarr scored two goals to help his team beat Brighton and Hove Albion 3-1 on the 15th of December. Sarr is in good form and Chelsea cannot afford to give him too much space and time on the ball.
- Eberechi Eze: The Crystal Palace midfielder was in sublime form with good assists for his team in their 3-1 win against Brighton and Hove Albion. Eberechi Eze will look to control the midfield and if he is given any opportunities to score, he’s likely to take his chance.
CRYSTAL PALACE TEAM NEWS
The home team will be without the likes of Mattheus Franca, Adam Wharton and Franco Umeh-Chibueze. Crystal Palace have consistency in team selection with the likes of Ismaila Sarr, Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta set to continue in the final third of the field.
CHELSEA: CURRENT FORM - LDWWW
The Blues’ Premier League title challenge took a blow with a surprise 2-1 loss against Fulham on the 26th of December. Before this game, Chelsea played out to a 0-0 draw against Everton. Prior to that match, they beat Shamrock Rovers 5-1, Brentford 2-1 and saw off Astana 3-1.
KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Cole Palmer: The Chelsea forward is one of the top goalscorers in the Premier League. Cole Palmer will be looking to increase his goal tally by finding the back of the net for Chelsea in this match against Crystal Palace.
- Enzo Fernandez : The Argentinian midfielder is good at breaking up play for the opposition team. Enzo Fernandez will look to quickly recycle possession for Chelsea.
- Pedro Neto: The Portuguese forward is good at dribbling and is a creative player who can create a moment of magic out of nothing. Pedro Neto is also good at transitional play. Chelsea will look to bring this talented player into the game against Crystal Palace.
CHELSEA TEAM NEWS
It will be interesting to see if Chelsea rotates their squad for this game as this will be their fourth Premier League game in 15 days. Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia is recovering from a hamstring injury, and he is likely to miss this game.
PREDICTED LINE-UPS
Crystal Palace: 3-4-2-1
Henderson, Guehi, Lacroix, Chalobah, Mitchell, Lerma, Hughes, Munoz, Eze, Sarr, Mateta.
Chelsea: 4-1-4-1
Sanchez, Gusto, Adarabioyo, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Neto, Fernandez, Palmer, Sancho, Jackson.
SUGGESTED BETS
If you love betting on the Premier League, here are some bets you can place at some of the top football sportsbooks.
Both Teams to Score: Both these teams have quality in attack. This shows us that there’s a good chance we could see goals for both teams. (29/50 with Betway) (11/20 with BC.Game) (57/100 with N1Bet)
2nd Half - Both Teams to Score: Big games often open up later and sometimes if a team finds themselves losing, they play more positive attacking football which could lead to goals for both teams. (9/5 with Betway) (9/5 with BC.Game) (42/25 with N1Bet)
Over 2.5 Goals: There have been over 2.5 goals scored between Crystal Palace and Chelsea in three out of the last five matches played between these teams. This stat tells us that Over 2.5 Goals in this match is worth a bet. (59/100 with Betway) (59/100 with BC.Game) (59/100 with N1Bet)
VALUE BETS
Cole Palmer - Anytime Goalscorer: The Chelsea forward is banging in the goals for his team. Cole Palmer has scored 12 goals throughout the Premier League season. These goalscoring stats make Cole Palmer a good bet as an Anytime Goalscorer.
Nicolas Jackson - Anytime Goalscorer: The Senegalese forward is in good goalscoring form with nine goals for Chelsea throughout the Premier League season. We think that Crystal Palace will present Chelsea with goalscoring opportunities and Nicolas Jackson is a good bet as an Anytime Goalscorer in this match.
Noni Madueke - Anytime Goalscorer: The Chelsea forward has been in good goalscoring form throughout the Premier League this season. Noni Madueke is a good bet as an Anytime Goalscorer for his team in this game against Crystal Palace.
PREDICTION: CHELSEA TO WIN
Even though the Blues have dropped points recently, they are still in the title race, and they will want to keep the pressure on Liverpool by putting together a winning run. Crystal Palace can be unpredictable at times, and you never know which side is going to pitch. We think that Chelsea will win this game.
Josh has over ten years of experience as a Sports Writer. Josh has created content for some of the biggest sports brands and publications in South Africa. Josh is a creative writer who puts you in the game with his unique content. Josh writes about Soccer, Rugby, Cricket, Basketball, Darts, Golf, and all major sports.
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