Crystal Palace and Chelsea drew 0-0 at Stamford Bridge, with a well-hit free kick from Eberechi Eze disallowed due to VAR intervention. The London clubs played out a season-opening goalless draw, with neither side able to find the back of the net.
Eze thought he had scored for Palace in the first half, but the video assistant referee (VAR) ruled that Marc Guéhi was too close to the Chelsea wall, leading to the goal being disallowed. The Eagles’ midfielder, who started despite speculation surrounding his future, received a standing ovation when he came off the field late on.
Chelsea showed signs of mental fatigue in the first half, with their only clear chance coming from Marc Cucurella’s near-post header that was repelled by Ismaïla Sarr. The Blues were also given more chances to score, but Robert Sánchez made several crucial saves.
Palace goalkeeper Sánchez himself had a chance to score, but his efforts were thwarted when he blocked Eze’s shot and Jean-Philippe Mateta’s shot from inside the box. The draw was a fair result, considering neither side created many clear-cut chances throughout the match.
Despite the goalless draw, Palace defender Josh Acheampong made a convincing claim for regular game time with his display of maturity and grit in central defence. Meanwhile, Chelsea’s new signings were unable to make an immediate impact on the game.
Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/report/_/gameId/740603