Chelsea’s first Premier League game of the season against Crystal Palace on Sunday was marred by major problems outside Stamford Bridge. Hundreds of fans were unable to get in on time because the club’s new digital ticketing system failed. The event drew a lot of criticism and made the club apologize in public just minutes after the game started.
The issue came up because Chelsea recently started using a mobile-only ticketing system that went live this year. This was the first real test of the system during a high-demand Premier League game, even though it had been tried out during the preseason. Fans said that their tickets had suddenly vanished from the club’s app, leaving them stuck in long lines outside the stadium with no clear way to get in.
The ticketing problem happened between 12:30 and 1:00 PM, which was just an hour before the game was supposed to start at 2:00 PM. Even though the club told fans to get there at least an hour early, many who did were still confused. A lot of angry fans took to social media to vent their anger about the situation.
Chelsea put out a statement shortly after the match started, admitting that there were technical problems:
“The club is aware there were some issues with the ticketing system for approximately 30 minutes, between 12.30 pm and 1 pm, before today’s Premier League match against Crystal Palace. We will do everything we can to ensure this does not happen again.
“We apologise to supporters who were affected by this and thank them for their patience. The issue was resolved, and all ticketed supporters were admitted to the stadium safely in time for kick‑off.”
Chelsea Stumble to Goalless Draw Against Crystal Palace
Chelsea’s first game in the Premier League was frustrating because they could only tie Crystal Palace 0–0 at Stamford Bridge. Even though Enzo Maresca’s team had more possession and territory, they couldn’t break through a well-organized Palace defense. The game was full of missed chances, a disallowed goal, and a historic VAR intervention.
The Blues had more than 70% of the ball and controlled the game, but they only got three shots on target out of 19 attempts. New players Joao Pedro and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens got to start, but they didn’t do much to impress because Chelsea’s complicated build-up play kept falling apart in the final third.
Chelsea’s draw is a wake-up call after a good pre-season and a FIFA Club World Cup win to start the new season. People are already worried about whether they can turn their dominance into goals, and those worries will only get louder if things don’t get better soon. Next, they will have to go to West Ham, where they will need to be more precise.