Crystal Palace vs Chelsea Prediction 4 January 2025

🔊 Will Chelsea maintain their place in the Premier League's top four? To do so, they need to defeat Crystal Palace, who are in the lower half of the standings but are striving towards the middle. However, winning a London derby is not as easy as it might seem. Therefore, we will consider different options to make the prediction optimal. Note that the match will be held at Selhurst Park Stadium.

📊 Head-to-Head

Over the span of 31 head-to-head matches, Chelsea has a dominant advantage with 81% victories. However, in the first round of the current season, they couldn't beat Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge (1:1), despite having a significant advantage in goal-scoring opportunities. Moreover, head-to-head meetings are not known for high scoring. In 7 out of 8 cases, more than three goals were not scored. Therefore, we note as a potential bet total goals under 3.5.

🦅 Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace had a poor start to the season but gained decent form by the end of the year. At least in the last eight Premier League matches, they only lost to Arsenal (1:5). They were also knocked out of the League Cup by Arsenal a few days earlier (2:3). However, the heavy defeat didn't knock them off course. Crystal Palace worked on their defensive errors and kept a clean sheet against Bournemouth (0:0). They conceded against Southampton but secured three points (2:1). Note that two 20-year-old midfielders whom Oliver Glasner heavily relies on - Matheus Franca and Adam Wharton - are on the injury list.

🔵 Chelsea

While other teams were torn between the Premier League, national cups, and European competitions, Chelsea calmly played with two squads. This allowed them to keep their leaders fresh by the end of the year. At one point, the team rose to second place in the standings and was named Liverpool's main competitor in the title race. But then the "Blues" hit a slump. In the last three rounds, they earned only one point, drawing with Everton (0:0). After that, they suffered a defeat to Fulham, conceding in stoppage time (1:2). The failure against Ipswich away was completely inexplicable (0:2). According to xG, Chelsea should have scored two goals, but their finishing let them down this time. The team has quite a few personnel losses, though only Romeo Lavia would have contended for a starting spot. However, his participation in the upcoming match is questionable.

🟨 Yellow Cards

Chelsea has an advantage in yellow cards this season - 3.1 against 2.4. On average, there are 6.1 warnings per match involving them. Therefore, it's worth considering a bet on total yellow cards over 4.5, especially since it has hit in 9 out of the last 10 away matches under Enzo Maresca's management.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Chelsea often scores after the break. For example, in 11 of their last 13 away matches, they have managed to score in the second half. In this same stretch, Crystal Palace conceded in 13 of their last 14 head-to-head encounters. Therefore, it's worth considering a bet - Chelsea to score in the 2nd half.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Chelsea has an advantage in corners this season - 6.1 against 5. On average, there are 9.7 corners per match involving them. In 8 out of 9 head-to-head meetings, there were fewer than 11 corner kicks. The only head-to-head game this season was no exception, with each side having four corners. Therefore, we advise considering a bet on total corners under 10.5.

📝 Match Prediction

The favorite for the upcoming match is Chelsea. However, the team hasn't known victory in three consecutive matches against rather beatable opponents. Crystal Palace certainly belongs to this group as well, having managed to snatch a draw in their head-to-head meeting in the first round. There's a high probability that the 1:1 scoreline could repeat at Selhurst Park Stadium.

Crystal Palace is currently on the rise, while Chelsea has hit a slump. Despite this, the visiting team is considered the favorite. It's safer to choose something from the small markets. The low corner count was recorded in 8 out of the last 9 head-to-head matches. Therefore, our key bet is - total corners under 10.5.