Two London sides will meet as Crystal Palace hosts Chelsea in their return from the FIFA Club World Cup. Connor Gallagher, who’s on loan at Palace, won’t be able to feature against his parent club, but Patrick Viera should still have a strong side at his disposal as his side looks to break out of their winless run that has reached five games. Chelsea will be quite the challenge here but the Blues have been susceptible as they’ve only scored multiple goals twice in their last five Premier League games.
Here’s are storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
Date: Saturday, Feb. 19 | Time: 10 a.m. ET
Location: Selhurst Park — London, England
TV: USA | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Odds: Crystal Palace +460; Draw +280; Chelsea -155 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea
Storylines
Crystal Palace: Palace’s hot start has dried up as the defense hasn’t been good enough to hold a lead. The hope is that the return of Cheikhou Kouyate to the squad after Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations title will help bring the defense back where Viera expects it to be. Without Gallagher, Odesonne Edouard and Michael Olise will be relied on to support Wilfred Zaha but everyone will need to be on their game to hang with Chelsea.
Chelsea: With Mason Mount sidelined until at least the EFL Cup final next week, Chelsea’s lack of creativity will be a larger issue than normal. The Blues are missing Reece James in their high-powered wing back attack, only scoring five goals in their four games since he injured his hamstring. The hope is that Christian Pulisic will offer a directness to the attack that the team is sorely lacking as the supply to Romelu Lukaku dries up.
Prediction
Palace will hang around as Wilfred Zaha gets on the scoresheet but it won’t be enough as Chelsea gets a late winner. Pick: Crystal Palace 1, Chelsea 2
