Crystal Palace are having one of the worst possible seasons in the history of the Premier League, having lost all of their first seven matches so far. They have also not been able to put the ball into the opposition net even once so far this season, worsening their situation even more.
On top of it, they will now be facing the reigning champions in their next match in the league, who are currently in good form and will look to make amends for their loss against Manchester City in their last match right before the international break. It is going to be a stern test for the Eagles and they might be on the way to their eighth consecutive defeat in the Premier League this term.
The Blues have lost only lost once in their last eight encounters against the Eagles and given their current form, it might not change in the next match as well. Here is how Palace might line up in this tie:
Defence-
The South London club have made a mess of things in every department but the defence has been one of their weakest points through the last seven matches.
With players like Joel Ward, Damien Delaney and Patrick Van Aanholt, the Eagles defence has looked vulnerable in their previous match against Manchester United and it was not possible for their new signing and talismanic defender Mamadou Sakho keep the Red Devils from scoring four against the Eagles. Wayne Hennesey will be the man to stand beneath the crossbars for them, hoping to keep a very unlikely clean sheet against Chelsea.
Midfield-
The gaffer might stick to the same three-man midfield in order to push more men into the final third and help them score goals. With the likes of Yohan Cabaye, Luka Milivojevic and Jason Puncheon at the heart of the pitch, it might not make too much of a difference in the outcome of the match against the reigning Premier League champions.
Attack-
The Eagles have not been able to score a single goal so far this season against any opposition and it is unlikely that they will be able to do so against a top team like Chelsea in the next fixture. However, Andros Townsend, Bakary Sako and Jeffrey Schulpp will try their level best to get the first goal of the season for their side and hope for an unlikely result against the Blues.
Predicted Lineup-
Hennesey, Ward, Sakho, Delaney, Van Aanholt, Cabaye, Milivojevic, Puncheon, Townsend, Sako, Schulpp.
