Chelsea’s 2025–26 Premier League season didn’t start off well, as they drew 0–0 with Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. The home team had most of the ball, but they couldn’t turn that control into goals, so the points were shared in West London. Meanwhile, when VAR was used, it became the most talked-about part of the game.
Eberechi Eze scored a free kick only 13 minutes into the game, which made the Palace fans go crazy. But they didn’t celebrate for long. Referee Darren England said the goal was not allowed after checking with VAR because Marc Guehi got too close to Chelsea’s defensive wall, coming within one meter. For the first time in Premier League history, England used his microphone to explain the decision to cancel the goal to the crowd at the stadium.
He said, “The goal is disallowed – number six encroached within one metre of the wall.” However, there was a lot of confusion because fans and experts disagreed about how clear and fair the call was.
Chelsea couldn’t get started, even after the break. They had the ball for over 70% of the game and took 19 shots, but only three of them were on target. Enzo Maresca’s team didn’t seem to work well together in the final third, and they weren’t sharp enough. They only had a short pre-season because they won the Club World Cup just 35 days before.
Even though they were missing important center-backs Levi Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo, the Blues’ defense was solid. Josh Acheampong, who came up through the academy, started next to Trevoh Chalobah and Reece James. He played with calmness and confidence, which earned him a lot of praise.
Chelsea Substitutes Shone Against Palace
The substitutes added some energy to the game. Estevao, a Brazilian winger, played in the Premier League for the first time and almost scored a goal right away. Liam Delap and Andrey Santos also brought a lot of energy to the match. But none of them could get past a tough Palace team that played with a strong and organized defense under manager Oliver Glasner.
Chelsea felt they had lost two points. Palace did well when they played away. As Maresca works on his team, the draw serves as a good reminder that style and substance need to go hand in hand, especially when it comes to scoring.