Crystal Palace v Chelsea predictions: Blues can get top-four bid back on track

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Crystal Palace v Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Premier League & Main Event, 5.30pm Saturday

Best bet

Chelsea to win to nil
1pt 13-10 general

Team news

Crystal Palace
James McCarthy and Nathaniel Clyne are doubtful, while Mamadou Sakho, James Tomkins, James McArthur and Nathan Ferguson are expected to miss out. Michy Batshuayi is ineligible to play against his parent club.

Chelsea
Chelsea have no injury worries but Thiago Silva is suspended after his red card against West Brom.

Match preview

Last weekend's abberation at Stamford Bridge ruined plenty of coupons but it may have given Chelsea a timely reminder in their bid to secure Champions League football for next season.

Few would have foreseen West Brom getting much change out of Thomas Tuchel's side, let alone enjoying a 5-2 romp, a result which saw Chelsea drop out of the top four.

Even though there was the mitigating factor of having Thiago Silva sent off before the half-hour mark, their subsequent capitulation was still a shock.

However, if nothing else, the result was a stark reminder that they should not take any game lightly in the run-in, and it should have quickly refocused the minds of the players after they made a great start under Tuchel.

It appears as though the Blues were able to take lessons from the Baggies defeat into their Champions League quarter-final first leg against Porto in midweek, securing a massive 2-0 win on the back of a dogged, more disciplined defensive display.

It certainly is a confidence boost going into a difficult run of fixtures with games against Manchester City in the FA Cup and the Premier League to come as well as facing top-four rivals West Ham and Leicester in the run-in, along with their continuing Champions League run.

First up, though, are Palace and Tuchel will surely not let his players take Roy Hodgson's side lightly in any way, even though recent history is very much on the Blues' side.

They have recorded six successive victories over the Eagles, culminating in a 4-0 win at Stamford Bridge in the reverse fixture earlier this season.

Hodgson continues to work a degree of magic at Selhurst Park, having guided Palace to mid-table safety at this point, a comfortable 12 points clear of the relegation zone and destined for another Premier League campaign next term.

Palace have proved themselves tough to beat in recent games, with just one defeat in their last six, winning two, but that run has come after five defeats in their previous eight.

Which Eagles side turns up remains open to question but Chelsea have the quality to overcome this hurdle.

Don't expect many goals, as not one side in the top 11 have scored fewer than the Blues' 19 goals on the road, while only four teams have scored fewer than the Eagles' home tally of 15.

Chelsea have finished 2-0 winners in four of their last six games and another victory without conceding looks likely.

Key stat

Chelsea have kept eight clean sheets in their last nine games in all competitions.

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