Chelsea and Crystal Palace kicked off their 2025-26 Premier League campaigns with a goalless draw.
Both teams entered the match having recently celebrated silverware: Chelsea lifted the revamped FIFA Club World Cup after their UEFA Conference League triumph, while Crystal Palace won their first-ever trophies, claiming the FA Cup and Community Shield in quick succession.
With high expectations, the match unfortunately turned into a lacklustre affair. Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side appeared fatigued and lacking creativity, while Palace did manage to score through an Eberechi Eze free-kick, but the video assistant referee disallowed the goal.
It remains uncertain whether Eze, who has been a target of London rivals Tottenham, will be available for Palace’s next match at Selhurst Park. In the meantime, here’s how the players performed at Stamford Bridge:
Chelsea
Robert Sanchez – 75% – Ended up busier than he would have liked, with Sanchez being forced to make four saves (resulting in a 0.23 goal prevention score) to preserve his clean sheet. The much-maligned goalkeeper also had a disappointing 16.67% long passing accuracy.
Marc Cucurella – 68% – Remarkably, the only starter who had a shot on target (from two attempts) was Cucurella, who showcased his typical swashbuckling and marauding self down Chelsea’s left flank, leading to the creation of a single big chance.
Trevoh Chalobah – 71% – The busier and more proactive of Chelsea’s centre-backs, with Chalobah completing seven clearances and posting a team-high of 10 passes into the final third.
Josh Acheampong – 66% – The 19-year-old centre-back Acheampong delivered a performance that displayed maturity beyond his years. He achieved a team-high of two successful tackles and won five aerial duels. Although he made an error that led to an opponent’s shot on goal, he made amends by maintaining an impressive 94% pass retention rate.
Reece James – 65% – The skipper created the most chances of any Chelsea player, with a total of three, but he also received a yellow card. On a more positive note, James recorded a team-high four interceptions and completed nine passes into the final third.
Enzo Fernandez – 56% – His two successful passes into the penalty area were the highest number of any Chelsea player while he was on the pitch. However, Enzo was dribbled past once and did not win a single tackle, registering a disappointing 40% forward passing accuracy.
Moises Caicedo – 69% – You got the full experience from Caicedo, who registered one interception inside Chelsea’s penalty area this afternoon while also winning eight duels, which was only bettered from a Chelsea perspective by Acheampong’s nine.
Jamie Gittens – 62% – Not the best of debuts for Gittens, who came off nine minutes into the second half, and produced a 40% take-on completion rate (two out of five). Although he created two goalscoring opportunities, neither was classified as a ‘big chance’. Furthermore, his two attempts on goal were not on target.
Cole Palmer – 62% – Failed to meet his lofty standards, but not for a lack of trying. Often looking visibly frustrated, Palmer had seven touches in the opposition box, although none of his four shots on goal were on target. Furthermore, Chelsea’s most valuable player was unable to create a single big chance.
Pedro Neto – 61% – Really struggled to impose himself on this contest, and nothing illustrated that better than the usual guile Neto winning a single take-on from three attempts. He also created no big chances or tested Henderson in the Palace goal.
Joao Pedro – 58% – Another who struggled on his Chelsea league debut, failing to complete the full 90 minutes. Pedro managed two shots on goal, neither of which were on target, resulting in a low expected goals (xG) score of 0.53.
Dabble sign-up offer: Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets
Not signed up to Dabble yet? Here's how to claim the Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets welcome offer:
- Sign up to Dabble through this link
- Register your account with accurate personal details
- Place your first bet of £10 or more
- Receive your £10 in free bets when your qualifying bet has setted
- Use your Free Bet on any eligible sportsbook market within 7 days
#AD 18+ 7-day free bet expiry. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply. GambleAware.org
Crystal Palace
Dean Henderson – 73% – Expected to face many shots, Henderson ended with a clean sheet, only being forced to make two saves throughout the game.
Marc Guehi – 54% – He impeded Caicedo, which resulted in Eze’s free-kick goal being ruled out in the 15th minute. Aside from that, it was a less-than-stellar performance from one of last season’s standout players. Guehi won only one tackle, had a 50% success rate in aerial duels, and recorded the lowest retention rate among Crystal Palace’s three centre-backs.
Maxence Lacroix – 62% – Disappointed to have made an error that led to a shot, Lacroix made up for that by completing seven clearances and registering a team-high three blocked shots.
Chris Richards – 63% – A strong performance from Richards, who achieved an impressive 97% retention rate and maintained a 100% success rate in both aerial and ground duels.
Tyrick Mitchell – 60% – Put in a strong defensive shift as one of Palace’s wing-backs, Mitchell registered a team-high five tackles won, seven clearances, and won possession three times in the defensive third.
Will Hughes – 59% – He went in the referee’s book for a tactical foul after bringing down Caicedo shortly into the second half. However, Hughes had one of the better forward passing rates (71.43%) among Crystal Palace players. His single interception and lack of attacking contributions highlighted his role in Glasner’s midfield.
Adam Wharton – 65% – Stood out in Palace’s midfield today with two successful passes into the penalty area. However, he often found himself isolated and was dribbled past on four occasions. He redeemed himself by achieving a 100% success rate in take-ons while also creating one big chance.
Daniel Munoz – 65% – Didn’t need a second invitation to get forward, with Munoz winning 50% of his attempted take-ons, while seeing a shot on goal go wayward.
Eberechi Eze – 70% – In what might be his final game in a Palace jersey, Eze cannot be accused of ‘downing tools.’ He had a game-high six shots on goal, two of which were on target (also unfortunate to have a free-kick effort cancelled out by the video assistant referee), and created one big chance while completing two of his three attempted take-ons.
Ismaila Sarr – 49% – Aside from one chance he created, this was a subdued performance from the usually lively Sarr, who finished the contest with no shots attempted on goal.
Jean-Philippe Mateta – 46% – Missed a big opportunity that would haunt him, but Mateta has started the new season as strongly as he finished the previous one.
How do Squawka player ratings work?
Squawka’s player rating system is wholly stats-based. Player scores are based on the numbers they put up across a range of on-ball events, from goals scored to tackles won.
We tailored each score to the players’ respective positions using extensive research and expertise. For example, forwards are rated on metrics like shots on target, touches in the opposition box, and big chances created. Meanwhile, centre-backs are rewarded for winning aerial duels, making blocks, successful long-range passes, etc.