Crystal Palace 1-1 Chelsea: Blues’ winless run continues as Cole Palmer’s strike is cancelled out by Jean-Philippe Mateta’s late equaliser

The perils of not taking your chances. Nicolas Jackson was not the only culprit at Selhurst Park, but Chelsea’s striker will do well to avoid the biggest chunk of the criticism.

He in particular had the opportunities to finish this game, to give the visitors an unattainable lead. Instead, they contrived to throw it away, making it four matches without a win.

Chelsea’s opener was a splendid move. Jadon Sancho grew up in South London, a cage footballer whose creativity could not be contained, and perhaps it was that return to his roots which brought out his best in that particular moment.

Back in a postcode beginning with SE, he was a kid again. The pass from Levi Colwill had enough oomph on it that he knew if he let it run behind him, there was no way Chris Richards would catch up. So he pretended to collect it, then he didn’t, and just like that, Chelsea led.

Cole Palmer was the scorer after Sancho’s assist. But it was Palmer who surrendered possession in the second half which allowed Palace to counter at speed and equalise via Jean-Philippe Mateta. With that, Chelsea’s top-four chances took yet another hit.

A 0-0 draw with Everton, 2-1 loss to Fulham, 2-0 defeat by Ipswich and now 1-1 with Palace. Not the form of a Champions League-chasing club.

After all the clamour from Chelsea fans for Josh Acheampong to start, Enzo Maresca listened. He did not hand him his full Premier League debut at right back, however, but rather in central defence alongside Colwill, a pairing entirely produced by Cobham.

Acheampong looked as if he belonged from the start, kickstarting one attack with an angled pass into Pedro Neto down the right-hand side. It was a mirror image of that move which saw Chelsea open the scoring in the 14th minute from the left-hand side.

It started with Colwill punching a pass into Sancho, who feigned as if he was going to collect it but instead let it run behind him. That sent his marker Richards to the shops.

Sancho snaked inside from the byline after catching up to the ball. With Richards, Daniel Munoz and Maxence Lacroix all swarming on him, the winger tapped it inside to Palmer, who used a favourable angle to score beyond Dean Henderson for 1-0.

Sancho borrowed Palmer’s ‘cold’ celebration to mark his assist. No arguments there. He had earned it, the Englishman creating the goal.

Not for the first time this season, Chelsea then wasted a bundle of chances. Jackson sliced a simple volley after a set-piece. Neto timed a straightforward set-up for Palmer all wrong after he had performed the hard part in skinning Tyrick Mitchell. Acheampong should have headed home a corner when he was unmarked and inside of the six-yard box.

With each opportunity, you wondered whether Palace would make them pay, and they nearly did when Mateta curled wide via a deflection from Colwill.

Chelsea went back to attacking, hoping they would score again. Palmer’s pass in behind for Jackson was perfectly timed for him to charge towards. Upon collection of the ball, he turned Lacroix, but then fired wide with the outside of his boot.

After the restart, a cutback from Munoz found Eberechi Eze. He dragged wide, but this was a warning to Chelsea, as Selhurst Park woke up from its slumber.

When Moises Caicedo committed a foul, Palace prepared a set-piece cross. 30 per cent of their Premier League goals this season had been scored by defenders, and Richards was denied the equaliser as Robert Sanchez tipped over his header.

Chelsea screamed for a penalty in the 63rd minute, claiming Neto was hacked down by Mitchell. The slightest of touches on the ball was enough for Palace to escape punishment.

After 69 minutes, Fernandez fired wide from 20 yards. After 70, Jackson likewise missed when he only had Henderson in front of him. That was a glaring chance to settle the game, the type that any striker should be finishing, and Maresca turned to his bench. There he saw Marc Guiu and, on his 19th birthday, he was introduced for his first Premier League minutes since the opening day.

Within seconds of that substitution, it was 1-1, as Palmer lost possession in midfield. Palace countered with Ismaila Sarr finding the untracked run of Eze. He unselfishly squared the ball to Mateta, who stole a march on Marc Cucurella to tap in.

Chelsea had scored last-minute goals on their last three visits to Selhurst Park. They needed another to save them here, but alas, it never arrived for Maresca.