After their clash with Manchester City, Chelsea headed straight to Selhurst Park.
This is Crystal Palace's home ground, and there's no denying that Crystal Palace has built a strong reputation. They've always been a solid mid-table team in the Premier League, especially tough to beat at home. In fact, they've won their last five home games.
At the pre-match press conference, Crystal Palace's head coach, Roy Hodgson, expressed his confidence.
"Our opponents have excellent individual talents, and most notably, Chelsea has Su Luo in their lineup," Hodgson said. "Everyone recognizes Su Luo's skill. He brings incredible pressure on goal, whether attacking from the middle or out wide."
"Of course, I believe that each Crystal Palace player will give their best on our home turf, and we're looking forward to a win here at Selhurst Park."
Meanwhile, Chelsea's head coach, Antonio Conte, was equally resolute.
He declared, "We have one goal in coming to Selhurst Park, and that's to win. This is essentially a London derby, and I believe my players are ready to make it happen."
The match was set to start at 8 p.m.
Fans filled the stands, passionately chanting, "Crystal Palace must win!" Their energy was infectious, as if they truly believed Chelsea wouldn't be able to break their team's home-winning streak.
"Welcome, everyone, to this eighth round of the Premier League," the commentator began. "Crystal Palace takes on Chelsea at home tonight!"
"Chelsea has won all of their games so far this season, so their goal at Selhurst Park tonight is nothing short of victory. Let's see if they can keep the momentum going!"
"Now, let's introduce the starting lineups for both teams."
"Crystal Palace is going with a 4-4-2 formation. In goal is Speroni."
"The four defenders are Van Aanholt, Ward, Dann, and Sakho."
"The midfielders: Riedewald, Milivojević, McArthur, and Cabaye."
"And up front, they have Zaha and Townsend."
"As for Chelsea, Coach Conte has fielded a 4-3-3 formation."
"Courtois is in goal. The back four: Marcos Alonso, David Luiz, Gary Cahill, and Azpilicueta."
"In midfield, we have Bakayoko, Fabregas, and Moses."
"The front three: Hazard, Lukaku, and Su Luo."
With kickoff underway, Crystal Palace, playing at home, was quick to take the initiative. In midfield, Riedewald showcased his passing skills, maintaining control under pressure from two Chelsea players and successfully passing the ball over to McArthur on the right.
Now, McArthur's name might sound strong—it's the same as the five-star general from World War II—but unfortunately, his play didn't quite live up to the reputation.
As McArthur received the ball, the Crystal Palace attack stalled. His technical skills were limited, and his move left their offense vulnerable.
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