- Bakary Sako puts Crystal Palace ahead host moments after clearing off the line at the other end
- Falcao equalises 14 minutes later with a header from a Pedro cross
- But Joel Ward makes it 2-1 to visitors just moments later to put Palace back ahead
- Champions Chelsea fall eight points behind leaders Manchester City after just four games
Obedient
to their boss, Chelsea’s back four provided irrefutable evidence at
Stamford Bridge as to exactly why Jose Mourinho was so desperate to sign
John Stones from Everton.
Chelsea’s
defence was ripped to pieces by a man-of-the-match performance by
Bakary Sako, a free transfer from Wolves. There were times in the second
half when they looked more like a shambolic rabble than a well-drilled
unit.
Before
Saturday, Mourinho had lost only one of his 99 league games in charge
at The Bridge. Now it is two out of 100. On this showing, he will be
desperate to draft his suspended captain, John Terry, back into his team
after the international break.
Joel Ward sees his diving header creep inside the post as Crystal Palace stunned Chelsea with two second-half goals
Bakary Sako side-foots his second goal in successive games as Crystal Palace took a shock second-half lead at Stamford Bridge
Thibaut Courtois looks devastated as the Premier League champions fall behind at home against their London rivals
Yannick Bolasie, who crossed for
Sako's 65th minute goal, celebrates with the Malian winger and Yohan
Cabaye after Palace take the lead
Radamel Falcao dives to head past the otherwise excellent Alex McCarthy and put Jose Mourinho's side level in the 79th minute
Falcao celebrates after scoring his
first goal for Chelsea, equalizing with an excellent header, but Chelsea
weren't level for long
Ward slides on his knees and points to the sky after netting the winner, just moments after Chelsea had drawn level
Falcao and Diego Costa can't believe what they are seeing after Palace immediately retook the lead at Stamford Bridge
The Chelsea manager tries to make a tactical adjustment to inspire his team but Chelsea fell to a second defeat in three games
MATCH FACTS, MATCH ZONE, PLAYER RATINGS AND LEAGUE TABLE
Chelsea: Courtois
6; Ivanovic 4, Zouma 6, Cahill 5, Azpilicueta 4(Kenedy 6); Fabregas 5,
Matic 5(Loftus Cheek 5); Pedro 7, Hazard 6, Willian 6(Falcao 6); Diego
Costa 5
Subs not used: Begovic, Baba, Mikel, Remy
Booked: Cahill
Goal: Falcao 79
Crystal Palace: McCarthy 7; Ward 7, Dann 7, Delaney 7, Souare 6; Puncheon 7, Cabaye 6, McArthur 6, Zaha 5(Bolasie 7); Wickham 5, Sako 8
Subs: Mariappa, Hennessey, Gayle, Mutc
Booked: Cabaye
Goals: Sako 65, Ward 81
Then
again, on this showing, he may decide that desperate times require
desperate remedies. Chelsea need to strengthen their back four: that
much is obvious. If they really have given up on Stones, they need to
look elsewhere. Quickly.
Stones,
who is playing for Everton in north London on Saturday, rather than for
Chelsea in west London, dominated the day even though he was not here.
Chelsea had found themselves under attack even before the game started.
Everton boss Roberto Martinez criticised their pursuit of Stones and
said that Everton stood for ‘more important values’.
For
many, it is an understandable source of encouragement that a less
affluent club like Everton has resisted Chelsea’s attempts to buy the
central defender and has, in its own way, stood up to the might of the
Premier League’s fabulously rich.
At
the same time, it is hard to see why Chelsea are being vilified for
trying to sign Stones. Transfers happen. Players move up the food chain.
Everton plucked Stones from Barnsley two years ago, now Chelsea are
trying to buy him from them.
There
is no particular need for controversy or rancour. There is certainly no
need for Everton fans to make Stones fear for his safety. Chelsea made
three bids for him, as is their right. Everton turned them down, as is
their right. End of story.
Alex McCarthy pulls off a fine save to deny Cesc Fabregas as the Palace goalkeeper did his well to keep the champions at bay
Willian tries a shot from range as
Palace throw bodies at the ball, but Chelsea felll to defeat in Jose
Mourinho's 100th home game
Conor Wickham holds off Chelsea's holding midfielder Nemanja Matic as Crystal Palace made a strong start at Stamford Bridge
Mourinho appeals for a decision as his Chelsea side struggled to break down their fellow Londoners in the first half
Diego Costa showed his abrasive nature yet again, tussling with Scott Dann before squaring up to Damien Delaney
Costa does his best to get on the end of a cross as Delaney also slides in, but the Spain striker couldn't convert the chance
Chelsea
took their time to mount an attack of their own. It was the 20th minute
before Pedro cut in from the right and whipped in a curling left foot
shot that whistled just wide of the Palace goal.
Now,
suddenly, the game erupted. Diego Costa was singled out for rough
treatment by Scott Dann and, as is his custom, responded in kind. After
Costa was bundled over by the touchline, Mourinho berated the fourth
official for his inaction.
Zouma
had a penalty appeal turned down when it appeared his shirt had been
pulled as he leapt for a corner but Palace reminded their hosts that
they posed a danger, too, when Courtois had to save with his legs from a
fierce shot by Sako.
Something
between lethargy and sterility is still dogging Chelsea’s play this
season, though, and it was Palace who fashioned the best chance of the
half when Zaha turned beautifully past Matic and rolled the ball into
the path of Cabaye.
Cabaye
should have scored but he shot too close to Courtois and tamely. It was
a simple save for the Belgian keeper and a let off for Mourinho and his
team who were still struggling to hit their stride.
They
finally posed a threat of their own a few minutes before half time when
Costa lashed in a cross shot that McCarthy could only push back out
into the heart of the box. Fabregas was waiting to meet it and struck
the follow-up cleanly but McCarthy was equal to it. He scrambled across
his goal and blocked the ball with his right hand before it was hacked
away to safety.
The volatile striker harangues a linesman after he was not given the decision he desired, in another bad-tempered display
Gary Cahill, wearing a mask to protect his injured nose, wins the ball from Wickham as Chelsea failed to kick-start their season
Matic gets a toe to the ball to stop Palace's new winger Bakary Sako, but the hosts were frustrated in the opening exchanges
Former Barcelona star Pedro was
impressive on his debut last week with a goal and an assist, but missed a
good chance before half time
Eden Hazard tries to win the ball
ahead of Crystal Palace defender Joel Ward, but the Belgian struggled to
find space at Stamford Bridge
Any
momentum Chelsea gained was lost at half time. Palace emerged the
stronger. Capitalising on the continuing vulnerability of Ivanovic at
right back, Sako waltzed past him and cut back a cross that Wickham
miskicked.
Alan
Pardew had pulled on an overcoat at half-time but now the game began to
heat up and after Sako had headed off the line from Gary Cahill, he
went up to the other end and put Palace ahead.
Souare
played the ball down the line to substitute Bolasie, who cut the ball
back into the path of Sako, a free transfer from Wolves. Sako’s first
effort was blocked by Azpilicueta but it fell kindly to him and he
slotted it into the net, high past Courtois.
Palace
should have gone further ahead when the rampaging Sako delivered a
perfect cross into the path of Bolasie who had raced in at the far post
ahead of Ivanovic. Bolasie had the goal at his mercy but sliced his shot
high and wide.
Chelsea
seized on their reprieve and forced an equaliser. Pedro curled in a
beautiful cross from the right, hit with pace and precision, and
substitute Falcao flung himself at it at the near post, guiding it past
McCarthy.
A
few seconds later, Bolasie made amends for his earlier miss when he
picked out Sako totally unmarked at the back post. Sako turned the ball
back into the path of Ward who swept it into the net. The Palace
supporters erupted in disbelieving joy, the Chelsea fans yelled out
their dismay.
Palace's French midfielder Yohan
Cabaye vies for possession with Chelesa's Brazilian winger Willian as
Palace pulled off a shock result
Fabregas attempts to turn away from James McArthur while is compatriot Pedro lies on the floor following a challenge
Hazard looks to break away from McArthur but Palace continued to hold firm well after the hour mark away against the champions
Delaney gets up above Costa, who cut a frustrated figure for long periods, to head the ball away for the visitors
Costa puts in a full-blooded challenge on Palace's Senegalese full back Pape Souare during a hard-fought game at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea captain John Terry was forced
to watch from behind the bench whilst serving a suspension for his red
card against West Brom
Tags
SOCCER