GRAHAM POTTER takes charge of his first league game as Chelsea boss with a London derby, but it's a tricky encounter against a Crystal Palace side who specialise in making life tough for the big boys.
The former Brighton boss was given an indication of how tough it could be to mould this team of superstars into title challengers in his opening game which ended with a 1-1 home draw against Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge.
Their flakey league form had cost Thomas Tuchel his job ultimately and Potter will be under no illusions going to places like the Croydon ground are venues that the owners do not expect to see points dropped.
But few clubs enjoy a toe-to-roe tussle like the Eagles and their manager Patrick Vieira. Already this season, they have drawn with Liverpool, went two goals up at Manchester City before losing and escaped with a goalless draw at Newcastle United in their last game.
The problem for Palace so far has been turning those displays into wins – they have only managed one in the league, although that can be countered by the fact they have had a tough opening set of games.
How the bookies view it
Chelsea's recent decline can be shown in the fact they are only just odds-on here – when the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City would be far shorter. You can get 5/6 with bet365.
Crystal Palace can be backed at 17/5 with Paddy Power, while the draw is 13/5.
Recent head to heads
The coubs met three times last season in the league and FA Cup and Chelsea won all three games without conceding a goal.
In fact, since a 2017 Palace win at Selhurst Park, Chelsea have won ten in a row.
Players to watch
Jean-Philippe Mateta is likely to lead the line for the hosts and the French striker will be keen to impress having onlky scored once this season. He is 4/1 with bet365 to double that tally at least.
Kai Havertz made a huge impact in midweek when he netted a double at Wembley in a 3-3 Nations League draw against relegated England for Germany. He is 11/4 with William Hill to score in south London.
Anything else catch the eye?
This should be a tight game and goals might be at a premium here. The hosts are likely to set up to frustrate the Blues and it could be a frustrating afternoon for Chelsea.
However, they have enough quality in the squad to edge out the Eagles and they can win a low-scoring encounter here. Try Paddy Power's price of 3/1 for a Chelsea win and under 2.5 goals.
No team have won fewer corners in the league this season than Palace – they have won 19 compared with Chelsea's 46 in six league games.
Therefore, Chelsea -2 on the corner handicap at 11/10 is worth doing with bet365.
This English Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea will be played on Oct 1, 2022 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Crystal Palace vs Chelsea prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
Chelsea to win & under 2.5goals lost.