Chelsea were forced to share the points at Stamford Bridge after a frustrating second half.
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A first-half goal from Nicolas Jackson was not enough for the three points as Eberechi Eze calmly slotted home to give Crystal Palace a point on the road.
It was a game of two halves at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues starting the game well but failing to capitalise on their first-half display.
Decisions did not fall the way of Enzo Maresca’s men either. After Will Hughes rode his luck a little too much, Oliver Glasner decided to sub the midfielder before he was forced off.
It enabled Palace to have more confidence, and with a Cheick Doucoure strike blocked before falling to Eze, it gave Palace the opportunity to level and build from there.
Chelsea will feel they have dropped two points, while Palace will be happy to walk away with their first point of the season.
Chelsea are still a work in progress
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It was a slow and frustrating second half after the fluidity and freedom in the first.
Chelsea had clearly worked on the build-up play over the summer, moving the ball around nicely and frustrating a low-block Palace team.
Chances were created, which is why fans can still be pleased with the performance. Noni Madueke could have had the Blues 2-0 up before Jackson netted home the opening goal.
That clinical edge is still missing from Chelsea at times, which is to be expected in such a young side. However with the chances missed, it gives teams like Palace the belief they can get something from the game.
Inconsistent performances under the new reign of Maresca are expected. However, today’s game shows that if Chelsea were clinical with the chances presented, it could have been a different game.
Moises Caicedo is starting to find his feet again
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The Ecuadorian midfielder had a solid display in a blue shirt today. Working hard both on and off the ball, it is clear that Caicedo is finding some confidence.
In the first half, Caicedo registered more successful tackles (3/3) and more successful interceptions (three) than any other player from Chelsea or Palace.
In the game, Caicedo won the most duels in the match (nine) and was also the most fouled player.
It is a positive display for the midfielder to take into the international break.
Levi Colwill is back to his best
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The 21-year-old had a solid game at the back, and it showed that he can deliver in a blue shirt by playing him in his natural position.
One of Colwill’s best attributes is his passing game, and yet again, he showed that today, registering more passes (106) than anyone else on the pitch.
Maresca’s system relies on his centre-backs being comfortable on the ball, and the England international’s ability to play that killer pass forward shows why he is so important to this Chelsea team.
Not only was the passing a sight to behold, but the Cobham Academy graduate’s defensive work was very impressive. Winning the ball from former Blue Marc Guehi, it enabled Chelsea to get the opening goal.
Furthermore, Cowill in the air was also brilliant, winning four out of four aerial duals and three out of five ground duels.
Chelsea will be hoping that after the international break, Colwill can continue where he left off.
Low blocks still seem to be an issue
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Chelsea could not break down the well-organised Oliver Glasner set-up in the second half.
The structure of sitting deep and not enabling the Blues to work through the middle of the pitch seemed to cause issues. There was also a change of system, which did not seem to click as well as it did in the first.
Furthermore, the subs did not seem to make the impact Maresca hoped for. A late ball over the top from Mykhailo Mudryk saw Jackson in on goal, but some good defending and a fine one-on-one save stopped Chelsea from taking all three points, and it showed that a bit of a hit-and-hope nearly worked.
So it is clear that there is still thing for Enzo Maresca’s men to work on over the international break.