The nerves were on as Chelsea moved to third in the Premier League
Frank Lampard’s Chelsea moved up t third in the Premier League after a hard-fought win against Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Tuesday night.
The Blues did themselves a lot of good with the win as they continue the fight for a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League.
However, the win didn’t come easy as the game had its share of nerve-wracking moments for Chelsea fans who were very eager to see their team win and consolidate on their place in the top four for the 2019/20 Premier League season.
The game saw Chelsea begin as favorites although they hung on for all three points in the closing minutes as Crystal Palace tried to assume the position of spoilers with their press for an equalizer.
The result was a positive one as Leicester City, who now sit fourth, drew 1 all at the Emirates against Arsenal.
I’ve previously stated that it may not be the best decision to let Willian leave Chelsea even with the arrivals of Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, and possibly Bayern Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz.
The Brazil international has been very instrumental in the positive results since the return of Premier League football. He was on hand to provide assists for the goals scored by Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic.
Willian’s experience in this tough period has counted for the young Chelsea side who are punching above by their weight, going by predictions at the start of the season. The Brazilian will surely have a say in the remaining four games, and his presence in the team is a big plus.
The United States international Christian Pulisic has also been crucial for Frank Lampard’s men recently as he seems to have gotten to grips with the pace of Premier League football.
He scored a well-taken second goal for the Blues to put them two goals ahead on the night whilst being a menace to the opposition defense.
However, the Eagles were not giving up without a fight as Wilfried Zaha scored a screamer before half-time which left fans fuming at Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. Some folks believed he could have done better to prevent the ball from hitting the back of the net.
Chelsea have been very creative under Lampard but also waste some decent chances. This almost came back to haunt them. The defense also looked disorganized with James Reece and Andreas Christensen being in 6s and 7s for most of the game.
James Reece made up for his defensive frailties on the night with his forward runs. Regardless. Kurt Zouma’s composure in the middle of the back four eventually saved Chelsea’s blushes in the closing stages.
Meanwhile, Tammy Abraham, whose early-season scoring form has been questioned after going on a run without finding the net, scored the third for Chelsea with a well-placed shot after some brilliant work by Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Christian Benteke pulled one back to make it 3:2 as they pressured the Blues for an equalizer. However, the hero of the night was Kurt Zouma whose well-calculated last-ditch lunging tackle prevented Christian Benteke’s golden scoring opportunity. It would have been 3 all.
That tackle will surely be one of the key talking points for Chelsea in their race for a top-four finish. The Blues held out for a 3:2 win and will face Sheffield United away from home in their next Premier League fixture.
All eyes will be on Manchester United in their game away to a relegation-threatened Aston Villa at Villa Park. Regardless, the Blues are looking good for a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League competition.
