Chelsea faced more disappointment as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace in their Premier League home match on Sunday.
This draw marks another stumble for Enzo Maresca’s side, who have managed only one win in their first three league games under the Italian manager. After a chaotic pre-season, Chelsea started their campaign with a loss to Manchester City, then secured a 6-2 victory against Wolves last weekend. However, they narrowly made it to the UEFA Conference League group stage, despite losing 2-1 to Servette on Thursday.
Maresca, who previously managed Leicester, remains confident that Chelsea's costly rebuild is progressing well, even though results have been mixed. The latest addition to the squad, Jadon Sancho, on loan from Manchester United, was introduced to the crowd before taking a seat next to co-owner Behdad Eghbali in the director’s box.
Despite the star-studded lineup, Chelsea struggled to capitalize on their early advantage after Noni Madueke set up Cole Palmer, whose pass was calmly finished by Nicolas Jackson in the 25th minute.
Maresca was left frustrated when Palace’s Will Hughes avoided a second yellow card for a foul on Palmer.
Palace, who were seeking their first points of the season after losses to Brentford and West Ham, took full advantage of their reprieve. England midfielder Eberechi Eze leveled the score in the 53rd minute with a stunning 20-yard strike that beat Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
Despite Chelsea’s efforts, including a late missed opportunity by Jackson, the game ended 1-1, halting Chelsea’s 14-game winning streak against Crystal Palace in all competitions.
