Eze scores to secure a point for Crystal Palace against Chelsea
Chelsea were held to an entertaining draw by visiting Crystal Palace in their English Premier League clash on Sunday.
The Blues were held to a 1-1 scoreline in a match they deserved to have nicked late on.
A goal from Nicolas Jackson in the first half was cancelled out by a beauty of a strike from Palace’s Eberechi Eze in the second 45.
The game initially began tentatively as both sides felt each other out.
Fouls were the order of the day, with Crystal Palace recording no less than 10 fouls in the first half alone.
Chelsea soon got in the game, with the winger, Noni Madueke, in the thick of things, narrowly missing from close range in the 22nd minute, 10 minutes after Chelsea talisman, Cole Palmer, went agonizingly wide from a long-range curler.
Crystal Palace had Dean Henderson, to thank in the 23rd minute when the English goalkeeper denied the tricky Madueke from close quarters.
The blues were not to be denied two minutes later when Madueke latched on to a quick counterattack, breezing past Will Hughes, who was already on a yellow, and teeing up Cole Palmer, who laid it on a plate for Nicolas Jackson to tap in for the game’s first goal.
The goal brought life to Palace, which came out of its shell in hope of an equalizer but met a stubborn Chelsea rearguard.
The first 45 ended with Chelsea holding on to a 1-0 lead.
The second half started similarly, with Chelsea imposing themselves on the game and Palace struggling with the rhythm of the game.
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However, against the run of play, Crystal Palace grabbed a leveller in the 53rd minute through a sensational curler from the edge of the box by in-form winger, Eberechi Eze.
The game looked to tail off from here; Chelsea was not looking threatening, and Palace was looking content to hold out for a draw.
Nkunku had a golden chance to create a late goal for Chelsea but passed tamely to Dean Henderson in goal.
Next, Nicolas Jackson missed two clear chances to put Chelsea ahead.
João Felix was the next guilty party, dribbled past everyone but failed to connect with the ball properly
