Chelsea entered the match against Crystal Palace with no other goal than 3 points to break through the rankings.
Right in the first half, The Blues concretized their dominant game with the opening goal in the 34th minute. From a confident individual dribbling, Estevao launched a powerful shot, directly into the goal, leaving goalkeeper Dean Henderson completely helpless.
Stepping into the second half, Chelsea continued to maintain pressure. In the 50th minute, Joao Pedro doubled the lead after a classy solo with a dangerous low shot. Crystal Palace's situation became even more difficult when in the 72nd minute, Adam Wharton received a second yellow card and left the field after a rough foul.
Taking advantage of the numerical advantage, Chelsea increased the gap. In the 64th minute, Enzo Fernandez successfully converted a penalty after VAR determined that the home player had touched the ball in the penalty area, raising the score to 3-0.
Late efforts only helped Crystal Palace get a consolation goal in the 88th minute, when Chris Richards jumped high to head the ball, narrowing the score to 1-3.
This victory is of particular importance to coach Liam Rosenior's team. After 23 rounds, Chelsea has 37 points.
Up to now, Chelsea has 10 wins, 7 draws and 6 defeats. Although still far behind the leading group, this is a positive sign for the London team as the season enters a tense period.
