LIVE BLOG

FULL TIME: Chelsea hang on to the win!

90+6min: Chelsea fall apart again as Zaha plays in Benteke, but Zouma steams in with a magnificent tackle to clear for a corner, which Chelsea clear.

90+5min: Palace come again and cross far post where Dann wins the header as he always does. But his effort is off the far post and out. The clearance is straight to a Palace player, but his shot is blocked and Chelsea survive somehow.

90+4min: Zaha creates again, but Benteke’s shot is blocked by Christensen. James then blocks a Zaha shot after Pulisic loses the ball.

90+3min: Guaita launches a counter with Zaha on the left. He beats James for pace, but Zouma blocks the cross and Jorginho completes the clearance.

90+2min: Zouma’s poor header gifts Palace a corner. Which they take short. Kouyate can’t handle the eventual cross and Chelsea counter with Pulisic, Abraham, and Willian. The latter eventually fashion a shot, but it’s saved by Guaita who holds on.

90min: Pulisic pushed on the left, picks out Willian making the run at the top of the box. His volley’s blocked by PvA. 5 minutes added on.

89min: RLC leads the charge this time. A bouncing loose ball runs to Abraham, who tries to time his volley to perfection, but ends up pulling wide. Chance, missed.

88min: RLC loses the ball, but Kepa catches the eventual cross.

87min: More pressure from Chelsea, but Mount’s shot is poor and Pulisic’s cross is easily caught by the goalkeeper.

86min: Chelsea keep possession before Willian cuts in from the right and plays across to Mount. He tries to pick out the bottom corner from the top of the box, but Guaita is across to stretch out a hand and save for a corner. Benteke hacks clear.

83min: Pulisic tries to burst through, but Palace nick the ball off him.

80min: Jorginho (!) rises from the dead, replaces Gilmour.

79min: James tries to pick out Abraham, but he makes the near post run and the cross goes central.

75min: Chelsea have a corner, which Willian takes. The outswinger isn’t cleared immediately, but Chelsea can’t find the loose ball. At the other end, Azpi defends well on Ayew to win a goal kick.

72min: Goal. Palace. Benteke. From the kickoff, Palace destroy Chelsea’s right side as PvA burst into the area and puts a nice ball across for Benteke to slot into the back of the net. Disastrous defending. 3-2.

71min: GOALLLLLLL!!!!!!! ABRAHAMMMMM!!! There it is! RLC drives Chelsea forward, chips through to Abraham with a lovely dink. Tammy holds his run perfectly and finishes just as well. 3-1, CHELSEA!!!

70min: Zaha finds a cross amid two, Benteke controls but whiffs on his shot on the turn. Willian tries to counter, but he’s chased down.

68min: Gilmour and Azpi combine to defend staunchly by the corner flag, winning a throw. Water break!

66min: RLC straight into the action, starting the Chelsea counter and getting the ball back from Gilmour, but he’s shepherded wide by a few recovering defenders and Azpi’s cross is eventually cleared.

64min: Abraham & RLC on for Giroud & Barkley.

63min: James’s clearance is charged and Palace have a corner. Ayew gets to the loose ball first, but his shot is charged down for a second cross. This one comes in from PvA on the other side and Dann wins the header again. Willian’s there for the second ball to win the ball and get Chelsea out.

58min: James measures his latest cross, which is cleared, but the game’s stopped as Milivojevic is taken out by his own man, Ayew, and hits his head hard on the turf.

56min: Pulisic back in support of Azpi to defend 1-v-1 on Zaha; he gets turned but recovers with a sliding tackle before Gilmour completes the clearance.

54min: Pulisic, then Barkley take it in turns to run at the defense, the latter winning a free kick 30 yards out, central. Mount plays to Willian who plays with to James. James puts in a gorgeous cross for Giroud, who unfortunately heads just over the bar. Missed opportunity, that.

52min: Palace on the Chelsea left this time. First cross is cleared at the near post, second cross is headed clear by James at the far. Chelsea counter with Barkley on the right. He switches to Giroud on the left, but his header back across towards Pulisic had no hope of reaching its target.

51min: Willian takes a PvA shot square in the face. He seems okay to carry on after taking a moment to collect himself in child’s pose.

50min: Palace build on the Chelsea right, before switching to Zaha on the right. His cutback is cleared by Chelsea, but Palace are certainly game.

48min: Mount wins the ball high up and finds Willian, who plays in James making a nice run. His cutback is scrambled away just ahead of Giroud’s feet. Barkley follows up with a long shot, well wide.

46min: Back underway, no changes.

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HALF-TIME: Chelsea were cruising at 2-0, but Zaha’s goal has changed the feeling. All to play for right now.

45+4min: Chelsea look content to play out the half, but Pulisic turns upfield on the left and wins a foul, level with the penalty spot. Mount swings it in, but Palace clear and the referee blows for half time.

45+2min: Benteke wins another foul, this time off Christensen. In comes the cross again; Benteke wins the header but Kepa catches the ball and holds on.

45+1min: Zouma called for a foul on Benteke. Palace put in the deep cross, which Chelsea just about scramble away at the second asking.

44min: Joel Ward whips in a cross from the right, past Azpi and Puli, that has Kepa scrambling a bit. It flicks off the top of the crossbar, but it had gone out before.

39min: Azpilicueta tracks well to clear a Palace cross from the left. Palace have a corner, which Dann wins at the far post again, but it’s safely wide.

37min: Pulisic drives at goal, gets fouled. Mount swings in the free kick, Palace clear for a corner. Willian takes, which Palace clear again, this time in bounds.

35min: Goal. Palace. Chelsea build on the right, but James’ pass is intercepted. Palace turn upfield, but there seems to be little danger. Except Zaha unleashes and absolute bomb, which is in the back of the net in the blink of an eye. Oof. 2-1.

34min: Mount wins a free kick by the corner flag on the right. In comes the free kick, and it just misses Giroud’s head with the goalkeeper beaten.

32min: Chelsea push on the right, this time with Pulisic. He plays wide to Willian on the left, having swapped places, but Guaita makes a nice save on the low drive. Mount on corner duty now, but Palace head clear.

30min: Mount to Pulisic on the left this time. Puli cuts inside, but loses his footing and has to settle for a corner. Willian takes, again over the head of everyone.

27min: GOALLLL!!!! PULLLLIISSSSSSICCCC!!! Barkley loses the ball in midfield, but Christensen wins it back and Chelsea have space in midfield to counter. Willian plays a 1-2 with Giroud, then finds Pulisic wide left. He takes a touch past his man and hammers it into the top corner with his left foot. 2-0, CHELSEA!!!

24min: Zouma blocks a long shot after Palace play through Chelsea’s right side. Palace maintain possession, but McArthur eventually strays offside and it’s Chelsea’s ball. Water break!

22min: Gilmour looking for James, but the pass is intercepted and Palace can look to counter into space. But Barkley’s there to defend 2-v-1 and clear for a throw with a sliding tackle.

20min: Mount & Azpi combine to win a corner, which Willian takes. But it’s Palace who counter through PvA and Ayew. A Kouyate cross is cleared by Barkley.

17min: This time Gilmour tracks back on the Chelsea right, forcing McArthur to run the ball out of bounds.

15min: Zaha breaks the lines and is found by a through ball. Christensen back to defend for a corner. In it comes, Zouma and Kepa claw it away. Kepa catches the follow-up cross from the far side.

14min: Chelsea free kick routine sees Barkley’s low shot deflect for a corner. Willian takes, Palace head clear for a second corner. Willian takes this one as well, going long, well over the head of everyone.

12min: Palace corner; PvA takes, Dann heads back across but Chelsea can run it clear and counter. Barkley eventually wins a free kick off Milivojevic, 25 yards out central.

10min: Chelsea corner; Willian takes, Zouma in acres of space, somehow heads wide of the post. Should’ve been 2-0.

9min: Sakho on for Giroud; Chelsea come again. A deep cross into the area is headed partially clear ahead of Giroud. Willian jumps on it, but his touch is long and Palace can complete the clearance.

6min: GOAL!!!! GIROUDDDD! Chelsea build down the right with Reece James, who plays on to Willian running the wing. Cahill’s tracking, but he pulls his hamstring and goes down. Willian’s in acres of space, picks out Giroud, who slots home. 1-0, CHELSEA! Palace furious, but that’s just bad luck.

4min: A pass at the back bounces off Ayew, straight to Kepa who’s down quickly. Bit of a shaky start here from Chelsea.

2min: Barkley’s backpass is a bit short; Kepa’s out to hack clear but he mis-hits the clearance straight to a Palace player. His effort from distance at an open net is fortunately wide. Letoff.

KICK-OFF: The teams are in, the players are out, the knees have been taken. Chelsea in our brand spanking new light blue aways, Palace in our brand spanking new third kit. And we’re off!

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With Leicester City not playing until after this game is done, Chelsea would at least temporarily move into the top three with a win here.

Only four games remain after, which include three games against the top six.

Another must win.

One (enforced) change for the Blues, with Kanté injured. No Jorginho once again. Fare thee well?

Here we go!

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Crystal Palace starting lineup (4-3-3)
Guaita | Van Aanholt, Cahill, Dann, Ward | McArthur, Milivojevic (c), Kouyate | Zaha, Benteke, Ayew

Substitutes from: Hennessey, Sakho, Woods, Mitchell, Riedewald, McCarthy, Meyer, Townsend, Pierrick

Chelsea starting lineup (4-3-3)
Arrizabalaga | Azpilicueta (c), Zouma, Christensen, James | Mount, Gilmour, Barkley | Pulisic, Giroud, Willian

Substitutes from: Caballero, Rüdiger, Alonso, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek, Pedro, Hudson-Odoi, Batshuayi, Abraham

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Date / Time: Tuesday, July 7, 18.00 BST; 1pm EDT; 10:30pm IST
Venue: Selhurst Park, London, England
Referee: David Coote (on pitch); Peter Bankes (VAR)

On TV: Sky Sports Main Event (UK); NBCSN (USA); Star Sports Select HD1 (India); SuperSport 1, SuperSport 3 (NGA); elsewhere
Streaming: Sky Go (UK); NBC Sports Live (USA); Hotstar (India); DStv Now (NGA)

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Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes!