Chelsea beat Brentford 2-0 in Rosenior’s league debut and edged Pafos in the Champions League. Palace enter this London derby in poor form and under pressure on and off the pitch.
Rosenior is also close to a small piece of club history. The former Strasbourg boss could become the first Chelsea manager since Graham Potter in 2022 to win the opening two Premier League games. If Chelsea take three points, Rosenior will be the first English manager to win the first two Premier League matches in charge of any club since Steven Gerrard with Aston Villa in November 2021.
Moises Caicedo arrives in south London after deciding Chelsea’s midweek Champions League tie against Pafos. The Ecuador international scored the only goal in the 78th minute with a rare header. That strike completed back-to-back victories in all competitions for Chelsea and underlined Caicedo’s increasing impact near the opposition penalty area this season.
Against Pafos, Caicedo produced four of Chelsea’s seven shots on target, his highest tally in a single game for the club. Earlier in the campaign, Caicedo also scored in league matches against West Ham, Brentford and Liverpool. The midfielder is now adding more attacking threat to a game already known for intensity, interceptions and passing range.
Rosenior made clear how highly Caicedo is rated inside the camp, while still demanding extra output in the final third. Rosenior told Chelsea’s website: “Moi is an outstanding player, a world-class midfield player. I don’t know how many headers he has scored in his career, but we are always a threat on set-plays. When you play against a low block, your pivot players can be higher up the pitch. He’s scored a couple from outside the box this season and hopefully he can keep chipping in with goals to win us more games of football.”
Caicedo is also focusing on influence beyond goals and tackles, highlighting personal standards and daily work. The midfielder said: “A lot of people tell me I’m a leader. I don’t talk too much in the dressing room, but I like to show my quality on the pitch or in training every day. Thats important. We are working really hard every day because we need to be better in every game.”
Chelsea’s dressing room will look to that attitude as they chase back-to-back league wins for the first time since November, when they put together a three-match streak. The current run, with victories over Brentford and Pafos, has started well under Rosenior. Crystal Palace, however, historically make Selhurst Park a demanding venue, even when results are poor.
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace: Turmoil and goal threat at Selhurst Park
Palace prepare for this fixture during a difficult spell. Head coach Oliver Glasner has confirmed departure at the end of the season. Since that announcement, Palace have sold captain Marc Guehi to Manchester City, and striker Jean-Philippe Mateta has submitted a transfer request, leaving major uncertainty in defence and attack before Chelsea’s visit.
Form on the pitch also reflects Palace’s issues. Only Burnley, with 13 games, are on a longer current winless run in the Premier League. Palace have gone seven matches without victory, drawing two and losing five. Defensive organisation has slipped, and confidence in front of goal has largely rested on Mateta, whose future is now unclear.
Six of Palace’s last seven Premier League goals at Selhurst Park have been scored by Mateta, with the other coming from a Nathan Collins own goal. Eddie Nketiah is one option if Mateta does not start or leaves. Nketiah was the last Palace player other than Mateta to score a home league goal, against Liverpool in September, but has since gone through a long barren spell.
Since that Liverpool match, 17 different Palace players other than Mateta have taken at least one shot at home in the league without scoring. Those players have recorded 83 attempts, including 18 on target, for a combined expected goals value of 8.5. Converting chances has therefore become a clear problem ahead of facing Chelsea’s defence.
Chelsea vs Crystal Palace: Palmer’s pursuit of scoring record
Chelsea may again turn to Cole Palmer for attacking inspiration. Palmer and Joao Pedro both scored in Rosenior’s first Premier League game in charge against Brentford. Palmer then sat out the Pafos tie after being rested, so should be fresh to return to the starting line-up against Palace at Selhurst Park.
History offers further motivation for Palmer. There have been four previous occasions of a Chelsea player scoring in a manager’s first two Premier League games. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink achieved the feat under Claudio Ranieri, Deco under Felipe Scolari, Diego Costa under Antonio Conte and Pedro under Maurizio Sarri. Palmer now has a chance to join that group.
Palace’s overall record against Chelsea highlights the size of their task. Palace are winless in the last 16 Premier League meetings, with 13 straight defeats followed by three consecutive draws. Chelsea have failed to score in only one of 16 Premier League away matches at Selhurst Park, with 12 wins, two draws and two losses during that sequence.
The Eagles have kept just three clean sheets in their last 34 league matches against Chelsea. One of those came in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge earlier this season, which finished 0-0. Palace last recorded consecutive league shutouts against Chelsea in March 1983, showing how rare such defensive success has been in this fixture.
Chelsea are rated slight favourites for this contest by the Opta supercomputer, reflecting trends in recent meetings and current form. Palace’s long winless run, off-field disruption and reliance on Mateta weigh heavily. Chelsea’s improved momentum under Rosenior, combined with growing contributions from Caicedo and Palmer, gives the visitors a narrow statistical edge for Sunday’s match.