Crystal Palace vs Chelsea prediction, odds and preview

On Saturday afternoon, when Chelsea hosts Crystal Palace for a London derby at Selhurst Park, Graham Potter will finally handle his first Premier League game for Chelsea.

While the Eagles are nine positions and four points worse off than their future opponents, the Blues started the international break in seventh place in the standings.

Prior to the international break, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace played to an exciting 0-0 draw, but it was Nick Pope and Vicente Guaita who stole the show. The PGMOL has subsequently acknowledged that they were wrong to rule out a Magpies goal in the dying seconds.

Palace is now in 16th place in the league, just two points above the relegation zone, but they do have a game in hand on most of the clubs in their immediate vicinity, and they have only lost once in their previous six games overall.

In contrast to Palace, who finished the 2021–22 Premier League season with five straight shutouts at Selhurst Park, Chelsea and their new manager bounce will look to capitalize on Palace’s defensive deterioration by winning their three home games this season.

With only one game under his belt since his hiring was confirmed—a 1-1 draw with Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League as the Blues remain winless in Europe—Potter has had plenty of time to get to know the superstars on his team.

Potter has taken over at a Chelsea team that has only managed two victories in their last seven games overall. With 10 points from six Premier League games, the West London club is mired in seventh place in the standings, eight points behind league leaders Arsenal despite having played one fewer match.

The former Brighton manager is under immediate pressure because there are some worries that Potter might be a small fish in a vast pond.