Crystal Palace 1-1 Chelsea: Jean-Philippe Mateta earns point as winless run continues for Blues | OneFootball

Blues made to pay for not taking big chances in first-half

Chelsea’s winless run was extended to four matches as Jean-Philippe Mateta earned Crystal Palace a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park.

Palmer could have had his second, had Pedro Neto’s cut-back been a better one, while Nicolas Jackson and Josh Acheampong, handed a first Premier League, failed to hit the target with big chances.

Those missed opportunities felt increasingly important as Palace’s threat grew in the second-half and so it proved.

Palmer was caught on the ball and the hosts took full advantage, finding Eberechi Eze and he rolled the ball across the face of goal for Mateta to turn in with ten minutes remaining.

Maresca made six changes from Chelsea's Ipswich defeat, while Palace captain Marc Guehi was back in Oliver Glasner's line-up after serving a one-game suspension.

Chelsea ventured deep in Palace territory early, Sancho volleying over from a cross, while a big tackle by Chris Richards broke up the run of Nicolas Jackson.

But the American defender found himself in trouble soon after, outsmarted by Sancho, who drove down the left and cut in, slipping the ball to Palmer, who slotted through the legs of Guehi for the 14th-minute opener.

Chelsea nearly scored again soon after, but Jackson's volleyed attempt from a flicked-on free kick was well wide.

What few spells Palace did enjoy in Chelsea's final third by the halfway point in the period were stubbornly thwarted, and they were lucky when Pedro Neto could not connect with Palmer's outstretched foot after deftly working his way to the edge of the the six-yard box.

Jackson missed another big chance to pad Chelsea's lead, beating Maxence Lacroix to the ball from Palmer's excellent pass, but fired wide.

Palace, who struggled to finish from their chances in the first half of the season, wasted their first real opportunity to equalise early in the second half.

Sarr worked the ball to Daniel Munoz, whose cross found Eze inside the penalty area, but the England attacker flashed wide of Sanchez's left post.

The Eagles came closer when Richards rose highest from a corner, forcing Sanchez to palm his effort over.

Chelsea then missed twice more, first from a low Enzo Fernandez effort, just wide, then another off-target attempt from Jackson past the far post.

Munoz stole the ball away and found Mateta, but Levi Colwill slid in for a timely intervention to deny him a chance to equalise with less than 20 minutes remaining.

The Frenchman drew the sides level in the 82nd minute, when Sarr charged up through the centre of the pitch and laid off to Eze.

He in turn squared to Mateta, who comfortably finished from five yards out, the goal standing after a VAR check to rule out a handball in the build-up.