Crystal Palace 1-2

Observer:

Chelsea stunned by resurgent Crystal Palace and Christian Benteke

Chelsea 1 - 2 C Palace

Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge

The Premier League’s title race has its unanticipated twist. Chelsea, untouchable for so long at the top and a side that had won 13 games in a row at home, succumbed here to a team who have spent almost the entire campaign choked in the grip of a relegation battle. For the second season in succession, this corner of the capital has been conquered by Crystal Palace. From nowhere, the first seeds of doubt may have crept into the leaders’ procession.

This was a far more eye-catching victory than last season’s success given its context, a team from the lower reaches having checked the Premier League’s previously irrepressible force. Even Palace’s staff and players appeared genuinely startled in the aftermath, Wilfried Zaha catching his breath after another performance to leave the Football Association privately cursing in regret to announce he was stunned.

Sam Allardyce marched into his post-match media conference to joke: “That shocked you all, didn’t it?” He added that with his players four points clear of the cut-off this was no time for celebration, though the din from the away dressing-room, the dance music interspersed with choruses of “Mamadou Sakho, Sakho, Sakho”, suggested otherwise.

Chelsea’s players, more sombre in a neighbouring room, will still be perplexed as to how they had run aground on the Liverpool loanee. Or had been denied so consistently and thrillingly by Wayne Hennessey, a player who has been much maligned throughout his Palace career but is suddenly in the form of his life.

The hosts’ had whipped up frantic pressure almost from the moment they fell behind in the 11th minute, but as the visitors refused to wilt desperation had rather set in. Too many centres were intercepted by Palace players, too many shots belted close enough for Hennessey to claim. Composure drained. Antonio Conte was left hopping in anguished frustration when Diego Costa met Eden Hazard’s cross on the edge of the six-yard cross, but with the goalkeeper resigned he steered a header wide.

The Italian has not been used to picking over losses since arriving in England last summer and looked utterly exhausted as he conducted his own assessment. He has been warning for months that the title is not yet Chelsea’s, with this perhaps a timely reminder to his players of the peculiar quirks of this race.

Tottenham Hotspur have trimmed the gap to seven points – still a relative chasm – but Manchester City are visitors on Wednesday. The recovery must be swift, the sense of alarm that infected much of their play exorcised immediately. Once they had taken time to review this occasion, Conte and his staff will take solace from their attacking vim and vigour, even if the opportunities had been fluffed.

They converted one of them, Cesc Fàbregas flicking in off the near-post early on from Hazard’s delivery, and must briefly have anticipated another stroll against a team near the foot. Palace had not conceded since mid-February but, as Allardyce had made clear, their game-plan was not built for a chase. That merely made the manner of their riposte all the more remarkable. Zaha, inevitably, sparked their rally, squeezing space from a dithering César Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso just outside the penalty area before fizzing a low shot back across a startled Thibaut Courtois and into the far corner. The speed and accuracy of the shot appeared to take the goalkeeper by surprise. Zaha had no right to gain such power from a cramped position between opponents. It was as if Chelsea had not sensed the danger.

They were still dawdling a little over a minute later when Christian Benteke, a striker so shorn of confidence over recent weeks, bustled forward from the halfway line. David Luiz attempted to stifle his progress only for the ball to deflect to Zaha, sprinting up in support. The Ivorian’s return pass found Benteke alone in front of Courtois, with the striker calmly waiting for his compatriot to go to ground before lifting a delightful finish into the gaping net. It was his first league goal since the end of January.

“Instead of their heads going down, which is what I saw when I first arrived, I saw a massive response,” said Allardyce. “Determination and will to get back into the game ... the two goals we scored put Chelsea in shock. It was an outstanding result.”

For all that, so much thereafter hinged upon Hennessey’s brilliance and Sakho’s rugged refusal to grant Chelsea a sight of goal, Zaha’s pace and trickery also offered Palace hope on the break.

“There’s a man on the other side, in Hazard, who is an outstanding individual like Wilf and his ability is something Wilf could look at to try and match,” said Allardyce.

He has grown infuriated discussing the winger’s future at the club with constant talk of Tottenham’s long-standing interest in the 24-year-old. “Wilf is already realising his potential with the way he’s playing. Potential is becoming a reality.”

Palace’s only disappointment was a potentially serious knee injury suffered by Scott Dann, a half-time replacement for the injured James Tomkins, but their reshaped back-line repelled everything flung at them over the frenetic final exchanges.

This was a result to fire hope that relegation can be staved off. It was also a Chelsea defeat to preserve a degree of intrigue in the title chase.

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Telegraph:

Chelsea 1 Crystal Palace 2: Is the Premier League title race still alive? Zaha and Benteke silence Stamford Bridge

Sam Wallace

On Wednesday it will be Pep Guardiola who brings his Manchester City team to Stamford Bridge hoping, perhaps for the first time in his career, to match the achievements of Sam Allardyce, the manager who might just have made the Premier League title race interesting again.

The procession that threatened to take Chelsea all the way to their sixth league title was slowed rather than derailed by some awkward visitors who disrupted the serene progress of the home team with one of the shock results of the season. Smoke flares booming in the away end, and on the pitch all Antonio Conte’s tried and tested principles lost in the fug.

Crystal Palace confounded rather than dominated Conte’s team, their victory based on two goals in two minutes and then a defensive action that battled through as best as possible against a Chelsea side of diminishing self-belief. The kind of reaction Conte gets against City might well be the defining game of the run-in: can they resurrect their form of the last three months or will the anxiety take hold?

There was not a great deal wrong with Chelsea other than their finishing which let them down through the 79 minutes that were left after Christian Benteke gave Palace the lead with the game’s third goal in the space of seven minutes. But then title races can do strange things to good footballers and Conte will look around his changing room on Wednesday night for any signs that nerves are fraying.

This was Chelsea’s first league defeat since they went down at White Hart Lane on Jan 4 and only the second they have suffered all season at Stamford Bridge – the first being back in September to Liverpool before the Conte revolution kicked in. They might have had a penalty from an Andros Townsend handball, and there were too many opportunities to equalise to list them all.

Does any team really have the consistency to chase down Chelsea, even Tottenham seven points behind in second place? Chelsea were without the injured Victor Moses which denied them the width on the right side occupied on this occasion by Cesc Fabregas, scorer of their goal. Conte himself was lost for an explanation, other than to say politely that he did not agree with every decision made by referee Craig Pawson.

“We created many chances to score,” Conte said. “We dominated the game against a team, very strong with really good players. Yes, it's a pity but today wasn't our day.” As far as the referee was concerned, Conte was circumspect about the Townsend handball. “It's very difficult to see this situation. For sure, something ... but it's right also to ask the decision of the referee.”

At some point the competitiveness of the Premier League was likely to catch up with Chelsea and so it turned out to be the club managed by Allardyce. On the pitch his goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was consistently the right man in the right place but there was no better performer than Wilfried Zaha.

The newly-minted Ivorian international was outstanding and it prompted Allardyce to wonder aloud whether his winger should set himself the task of matching Eden Hazard, the maestro on the opposing team. Certainly Zaha, the scorer of Palace’s first, took the fight to Chelsea relentlessly, his only shortfall a missed chance in the nine minutes added on at the end of the game to make up for time lost during treatment to Scott Dann.


Allardyce lost Dann to that knee injury 15 minutes after he had replaced the James Tomkins at half-time, himself withdrawn with a calf problem. The Palace manager switched to a five-man defence, and Conte also abandoned his famous 3-4-3 system in the second half to try to force a change, which will have given Allardyce a measure of satisfaction. “That shocked you all, didn't it?” remarked the Palace manager as he took his seat for the post-match press conference.

He said that the two goals his team scored “put Chelsea in shock”. “Our resilience and some of the saves from the goalkeeper were the reason we won it in the end, even if we spurned a couple of really good chances. Holding out here to win 2-1 is an outstanding victory. An outstanding performance … particularly in the position we're in. Nobody expected it.”

There was another fine performance from Mamadou Sakho at the heart of Palace’s defence whose record at the club now stands at four games, four wins and only one goal conceded. Allardyce said the Frenchman’s leadership qualities have also proved decisive in this fine run of four straight victories that took Palace to 16th, and four points clear of the relegation places, by the end of the day’s games.

Palace struck so rapidly in the first half, two goals in the space of two minutes and both of them strange affairs culminating in fine finishes from the men in question. The first was Zaha who picked the ball up from Benteke’s lay-off and twisted away from a challenge on the edge of the area. There were still three Chelsea men between him and the goal when he struck his shot and it evaded Cesar Azpilicueta, Gary Cahill and Marcos Alonso along the way.

That was the equaliser after Fabregas scored within four minutes. He flighted a marvellous ball from deep on the right side to Hazard and it was as if the winger was awaiting his team-mate’s arrival in the penalty area as he delayed over the cut-back, before rolling it into the feet of the midfielder who clipped it in first time off the near post.

At 1-1, Palace struck again, a goal with inauspicious beginnings, a Benteke gallop down the left channel. He got a ricochet, and a pass back from Zaha and suddenly the Belgian was in the clear. Presented with the task of beating Thibaut Courtois he did so with a calmness that was arresting, putting the big goalkeeper on the floor with a feint and then chipping it gently past him.

From the away end came the boom of smoke flares, smuggled in past the sniffer dogs and giving the impression that none of the visiting party was prepared to play by the usual house rules. Even so, it took a lot saves from Hennessey and some misses from Costa when you might have expected the old warrior to bury the chance.

By the end Michy Batshuayi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were thrown on in pursuit of an equaliser but Conte’s team were out of time and now their manager will discover how this team reacts with the pressure turned up a notch.


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Independent:

Crystal Palace stop Chelsea's title charge in its tracks with shock win over league leaders at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea 1 Crystal Palace 2: Sam Allardyce's side continued their resurgence and set a cat among the pigeons at the top of the table with an unlikely three points in west London

Ed Malyon

Sam Allardyce had tacked it on, as if only an afterthought.

“It's a game for us to try to get a point in - or three,” he joked in his press conference on Friday.

Beaming like a Cheshire Cat as he shook Antonio Conte’s hand, it was an afterthought that had become reality by Saturday. Inspired by Wilfried Zaha, Allardyce’s Crystal Palace revival had claimed the scalp of the league leaders in their own back yard.

One look at Conte, his face screwed up in anger and confusion, painted a very different picture to Allardyce’s joy.

As it was, there had been a contrast between the two managers from the very beginning of this encounter; Allardyce with his feet up, pensively masticating in a club shop puffer jacket while from the first minute Conte, sleekly decked out in a black suit, was waving his arms frantically, pointing and screaming to players who could not hear a word.

Within ten minutes they would both be on their feet though, already three goals deep in a game that rarely paused for thought.

Cesc Fabregas opened the scoring inside five minutes - though Eden Hazard deserves much of the credit - and there were already presumptions of a walkover in the East Stand of Stamford Bridge. Their afternoon would not be so leisurely.

Hazard’s would be, to an extent. When you take out the kicking and the jostling he endures, his game is very much like a stroll in the park and he continues to play at a Player of the Year level. The waltz through the right side of Palace’s defence, drilling it low for Fabregas to clip home at the near post, was the confident artistry of a player in his prime. He would create many more chances. None would be converted.

If Hazard had been the talk of the international break, with Real Madrid’s interest making the front pages again, then Zaha hasn’t been far behind.

England manager Gareth Southgate was dismissive of the winger, who turned his back on the Three Lions in favour of his native Ivory Coast and rewarded the Elephants with a wondergoal against Russia last weekend. But Chelsea could not afford to ignore him as readily as Southgate’s regime has.

Zaha remains one of the best dribblers in the Premier League and, arguably, there is nobody in the division better at beating a man one-on-one. He has answered questions about his lack of end product all year, now boasting more goals and assists than Philippe Coutinho, Raheem Sterling or Mesut Ozil and, in two first-half minutes, he turned this game on his head.

First it was a goal, and one out of nothing. Taking the ball from Christian Benteke, alongside whom he was playing in a variation on a 4-4-2, Zaha turned into trouble, surrounded by four blue shirts. His low, drilled strike, however, caught them all off-guard and squeezed across Thibaut Courtois and into the far corner.

Seconds later it was two, this time Zaha turning provider for his de facto strike partner as Chelsea’s defence disappeared like grease smeared from a window, and allowed Benteke to take his time and dink the ball over a helpless Courtois.

Chelsea have made history all season but they won’t be proud of the fact that they hadn’t conceded two league goals this early in a game since 1996. Their role now was to come roaring back and show they weren’t feeling the pressure of leading the league.

Suddenly that contrast between the two managers had diminished. One, Conte, was up on his feet screaming at his players still. Allardyce was now by his side, but spent more time berating the officials.

It would be a long time to defend a lead at Stamford Bridge and Palace would need every decision to go their way. Chelsea would argue one did when the ball hit Andros Townsend’s arm in the penalty area but the officials waved away the hosts’ anguished screams.

The Blues were also unfortunate to find a visiting goalkeeper in form in Wayne Hennessey. The Welsh international divides opinion among his side’s fanbase – as inconsistent 'keepers tend to do.

But, at Stamford Bridge, Hennessey was outstanding. The 6ft 6in keeper seemed to get to everything that his defence couldn’t, making particularly outstanding blocks from Marcos Alonso, Nemanja Matic and, of course, the twinkle-toed Hazard.

The back four that protected Hennessey did so with increasing desperation as proceedings wore on. James Tomkins was replaced by Scott Dann at half-time, only for Dann, in turn, to succumb to injury and be removed on a stretcher after 59 minutes.

But rather than holding on to his final substitution, Allardyce rolled the dice and used his third change. Damien Delaney and Martin Kelly came on to form a back five, with winger Townsend withdrawn.

It was an admission that Palace would be primarily looking to see this one out, rather than extend their lead. But even then, Zaha broke through on a counter and would, could or should have iced the game when one-on-one with Courtois. The Belgian’s save, with the toes of his left foot, was vital.

From then, it was all Chelsea though. Nearly thirty minutes of attack after attack, starting like the tide rippling on the beach and ending like ferocious waves crashing down on Crystal Palace’s walls.

Hazard, Diego Costa and Pedro could have done little more in terms of creating chances. Each of them was also guilty of missing them, however.

Hennessey was a blur of arms and legs as Chelsea tried every which way of finding an equalizer but he was an effective blur, keeping the arriving legions at bay.

And so with the final whistle, Sam Allardyce’s afterthought came to pass. A win from the boot of Zaha that had barely figured in the mind of his manager.


Chelsea: Courtois, Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill, Pedro, Kante, Matic (Willian 59), Fabregas, Alonso (Batshuayi 74), Hazard, Costa.

Subs not used: Begovic, Zouma, Terry, Chalobah.


Crystal Palace: Hennessey, Ward, Tomkins (Dann 45 [Delaney, 60]), Sakho, Schlupp, Puncheon, Milivojevic, Cabaye, Townsend (Kelly 60), Zaha, Benteke.

Subs not used: Speroni, Ledley, Kaikai, Sako.

Referee: C Pawson (South Yorkshire)

Attendance: 41,489

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Mail:

Chelsea 1-2 Crystal Palace: Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke strikes stun Antonio Conte's side at Blues HQ

By Oliver Holt For The Mail On Sunday

The title jitters got to Chelsea at last in the spring sunshine at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Anointed champions well before winter’s end, they had started to seem immune to nerves but just when it appeared no one could stop them, they faltered.

‘That shocked you all, didn’t it,’ Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce said with a big grin as he settled into his seat at the post-match press conference. And he was right. No one saw this one coming. No one saw Chelsea’s serene march towards the title being rudely interrupted like this.

It would be pushing it to say Chelsea are vulnerable now. It would be wrong to identify a trend in a first defeat since early January. But even though they are still overwhelming favourites for the league, they must guard against a collapse in confidence. It has happened before.

Put it this way: if Sir Alex Ferguson were at the helm of one of the forlorn chasing pack, he would be mentioning Devon Loch about now. It will take something as spectacular as its slip in the 1956 Grand National to derail Antonio Conte’s side, but defeat can breed defeat.

Chelsea did not play badly on Saturday but they fell to defeat to a Palace side led quite brilliantly by Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke, who scored a goal apiece in their side’s 2-1 victory. It was Chelsea’s first reverse since they lost to Spurs at the start of January and it has given Spurs, who are seven points behind, a hint of hope.

Certainly, Zaha and Benteke made Chelsea’s defence look more uncomfortable than it has all season and Conte made it clear he is keenly aware of the importance of Wednesday night’s match against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.

That was why Palace did the rest of the league a favour here. Excitement had drained out of the title race as Chelsea marched unerringly towards their target and attention switched to the battle to finish in the top four. Now things are a lot more interesting.

It was a huge result for Palace, too, especially after Hull beat West Ham. The victory keeps Palace four points clear of the relegation zone and drags Burnley and West Ham into the battle at the bottom. The Palace players celebrated wildly with their fans at the end.

Chelsea had begun the day 10 points clear with 10 games to go. Recently, their every win has been greeted as the game that clinched the title. Their lead looked impregnable and they appeared to have ended what little uncertainty there might be about the result within the first five minutes.

Cesc Fabregas hit a superb raking ball over the top of the Palace defence for Eden Hazard, who took the ball to the byline and found Joel Ward isolated in front of him. Hazard dribbled around Ward and crossed to the near post. Fabregas had hurtled into the box and he clipped the ball past Wayne Hennessey and in off the post.

But Palace hit back quickly. Benteke held the ball up with his back to goal and laid it off to Zaha on the edge of the area. Zaha was surrounded by defenders but somehow he found space and squeezed a shot through the crowd. Thibaut Courtois saw it late and it flew past his outstretched right hand.

A minute later, Palace stunned the Bridge by taking the lead. Benteke led a swift Palace counter-attack and ran at the Chelsea defence. When he was tackled, the ball broke to Zaha, who played it straight back to Benteke. Courtois dived at his feet but Benteke delayed cleverly and lifted the ball gently over the goalkeeper and into the net.

The chances kept coming. Midway through the half, Hennessey saved smartly from Diego Costa’s close-range shot, blocking it with his body when the effort wrong-footed him as he scrambled across his goal. Chelsea made a flurry of chances before half-time but Hennessey beat away shots from Hazard and Nemanja Matic to preserve Palace’s lead.

Chelsea were laying siege to the Palace goal by now and Hennessey dived at full length to deflect a driven cross from Hazard away from danger and then saw a fierce shot from Cesar Azpilicueta fly over the crossbar. When Chelsea tried to pass their way into the Palace box, there was no way past the yellow wall.

In the second half, the same pattern continued. Chelsea camped in the Palace half and Palace defended for their lives. Ten minutes into the half, it seemed Conte’s side would equalise when a deep cross from Pedro found Costa in space at the back post 10 yards out.

But it was typical of Palace’s commitment that when Costa chested the ball down, Scott Dann, a half-time substitute for James Tomkins, threw himself into the block with such abandon that he was injured in a collision and carried off on a stretcher.

Palace were still capable of hurting Chelsea on the break though and might have gone further ahead on the hour. Zaha was the danger man once again, outstripping Cesar Azpilicueta and arrowing his shot towards the corner of the goal. Zaha thought he had scored but Courtois stuck out his left boot and deflected the ball wide.

Chelsea missed another golden chance to equalise 15 minutes from time when Hazard twisted and turned his marker out of shape on the byline and curled a cross into the box. Costa rose to meet it six yards out but could only head it wide. The crowd groaned and Conte, not for the first time in the game, turned away and put his hands on his head.

Now the Chelsea siege got serious. Palace defended with everything they had. Their box was like a game of pinball. Sakho made two last-ditch clearances, crosses flew across the face of goal, begging for the touch that would bring the equaliser. Hennessey saved at his near post.

Allardyce and his assistant, Sammy Lee, grew increasingly animated in the Palace technical area, not least when the fourth official held up the board indicating there would be seven minutes of added time. Chelsea did not let up. And still Palace clung on.


Chelsea (3-4-3):  Courtois 5, Azpilicueta 5, Luiz 5, Cahill 6, Pedro 6, Kante 5, Matic 6 (Willian 59, 6), Alonso 6 (Batshuayi 74, 5), Hazard 7, Costa 6, Fabregas 6 (Loftus-Cheek 97)

Subs not used: Begovic, Zouma, Terry, Chalobah

Goals: Fabregas 5

Booked: Luiz, Cahill, Costa

Manager: Antonio Conte
 
Crystal Palace (4-4-2): Hennessey 8, Ward 6, Tomkins 6 (Dann 45, 6)(Delaney 60, 6), Sakho 8, Schlupp 7, Puncheon 6, Milivojevic 7, Cabaye 7, Townsend 5 (Kelly 60, 6), Zaha 9, Benteke 8

Subs not used: Speroni, Ledley, Kaikai, Sako, Kelly

Goals: Zaha 9, Benteke 11

Manager: Sam Allardyce

Referee: Craig Pawson


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Express:

Chelsea 1 - Crystal Palace 2: Christian Benteke stunner stops league leaders at home

SAM ALLARDYCE has endured a rough old season, but the big beaming smile was back as he fashioned a result to cheer up English football.

By JIM HOLDEN

The shock victory for his Crystal Palace team against runway Premier League leaders Chelsea was testament to the resilience of the man who was so briefly England manager.

Big Sam has spent his career prodding and poking at the big guns of the game, but few triumphs will have felt as sweet as this one.

Chelsea were supposed to be invincible at home with 13 straight League wins at Stamford Bridge. They were supposed to be on cruise control towards the title. Their manager Antonio Conte was supposed to be the tactical master.

Well, not on Saturday.

Conte’s team showed the first signs of complacency and then a measure of panic as they were trapped into submission by the Allardyce game-plan of massed defence and swift counter-attacks.

The Chelsea manager knew it well enough. In victory he is a crackerjack character, with a bear hug for every player at the final whistle.

Here he was subdued, head bowed, ignoring every one of his players as he congratulated Big Sam and went to shake the hand of the referee.

Palace had moments of good fortune, but they fully merited this victory with a performance of intelligence and endless energy in an absorbing match.

The start was electric, and for a few minutes only it followed the obvious script as Chelsea went ahead. It was a superb goal, begun and finished by Cesc Fabregas.

His laser-like long pass found Eden Hazard, with time and space for a little trickery before fashioning a low cross that Fabregas steered home via a post.

Perhaps the goal after just five minutes was too swift. Chelsea succumbed to complacency, one of sport’s eternal demons, and within another six minutes they had conceded two goals to Palace.

David Luiz was careless in possession for the first, giving away the ball with a casual pass in defence. It was quickly fed to Wilfried Zaha, who showed fine strength and skill on the edge of the box before firing home a low shot.

Within moments Palace had taken the lead, thanks to a devastating counter-attack from their own box. Christian Benteke led the charge and after an intervention from Zaha he finished it too with a cheeky chip into the net.

Allardyce cavorted on the touchline in glee, while Conte glowered in disbelief.

This was a test of Chelsea’s nerve - and in the end they failed.

It might have been very different if they had been awarded a clear penalty on the quarter hour when Andros Townsend stopped a goal-bound shot from Pedro with a significant movement of his right arm. The ref said no.

The rest of the match followed a pattern - Chelsea dominance of the ball, some moments of sublime skill, but too little threat.

Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey made good saves in the first half to foil Hazard and Diego Costa, while Mamadou Sakho, the central defender on loan from Liverpool, made several outstanding blocks and interceptions.

In fact, the best chance of another goal fell to Palace, but the lively Zaha saw his shot brilliantly saved by Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois.

The soundtrack of the second half was frustration from Chelsea fans at poor cross after poor cross when team had worked itself into a threatening position. It is not a noise heard too often this season at Stamford Bridge.

There were attacking substitutions from Conte, rarely seen this season.

Costa squandered the best opportunity of an equaliser, heading wide from a simple chance in the 76th minute. That was the moment Chelsea knew this was a day to forget.

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Star:

Chelsea 1 Crystal Palace 2: Christian Benteke shocks Blues in title race twist

THIS wasn’t in the script.

By Tony Stenson

Champions-elect Chelsea started the day 10 points clear of the pack, with relegation-haunted Palace – despite a run of three successive wins – considered just another stepping stone on the road to the title.

How wrong we all were! Crystal Palace came from behind with two goals in two minutes and then held out in the face of a Blues onslaught, with keeper Wayne Hennessey refusing to be beaten again.

Antonio Conte’s side missed chances galore – and when they did get through Palace’s packed ranks Hennessey was there to deny them.

It all started so well for the home side, with Chelsea needing just five minutes to get the dream factory believing.

Cesc Fabregas hit a long, raking pass from deep inside his own area to Eden Hazard on the left. Hazard did what he normally does, jinked, moved and held play until the cavalry arrived.

It did in the shape of Fabregas who dashed to side-foot in a move he had started 70 yards earlier. The lead lasted four minutes with Wilfried Zaha worming his way through Chelsea’s defence to hit a shot wide of the diving Thibaut Courtois.

Then a minute later it was 2-1 with Christian Benteke seizing onto Zaha’s pass to added a second.

It sparked a revival from Chelsea that witnessed Hennessey save with his knees from Costa and other Palace players making last ditch tackles.

The football came from Chelsea. Palace supplied the shocks.

Palace defended deep and it needed the likes of Hazard to open doors but he always seemed to run into walls.

Zaha’s skills always gave Palace an outlet and others were swift to join the fray and unsettle Chelsea, who until now had seemingly had it all their own way.

Palace proved ferocious fighter and their defence was superbly marshalled by on-loan Mamadou Sakho, high on the wanted list of many now Liverpool don’t want him.

Chelsea relentlessly powered forward, with Hennessey called on time and again to make crucial saves.

Chelsea were given very physical workout last time out at Stoke but still had the reserves to secure all three points in the closing stages despite it being one of their less convincing overall performances.

Palace has rediscovered its mojo lately under Sam Allardyce. The burly strategist seems to be working his magic once again with Palace enjoying a three-game winning streak with no goals conceded and has them four points clear of the bottom three.

Allardyce’s contribution and nous in this situation, Sakho’s influence in the back four and greater confidence shown from flair players Zaha and Andros Townsend have produced a heady concoction currently that could ultimately lead them to safety.

However, before everyone at Selhurst Park starts high- fiving one another, Palace must still play every team currently in the top six so they are going to have to pull a rabbit or two out of the hat before we are done and dusted.

Palace’s last away win at Chelsea was in August 2015 and few would deny them the spoils yesterday.

And they almost added another in added time when Zaha lifted over the boar from 12 yards.

Diego Costa tried hard, but missed many chances and will have to wait longer for his 50th for the club.

Up went Chelsea keeper Courtois in the dying minutes...but all to no avail. Allardyce the magician is doing it again.

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Mirror:

Chelsea 1-2 Crystal Palace: Zaha and Benteke strike as Eagles stun Blues

Darren Lewis

It denied the home side a a 17th home win in 18 games under Antonio Conte and lifted Sam Allardyce’s men six points clear of the relegation zone

Wilfried Zaha continued his sensational form with a man of the match display to sink leaders Chelsea and blow open the title race.

The Crystal Palace winger scored one and made another to cancel out a fifth-minute opener from Cesc Fabregas. The huge upset reduced the Blues’ advantage at the top over Spurs to just seven points.

It also denied the home side a a 17th home win in 18 games under Antonio Conte. And it lifted Sam Allardyce’s men four points clear of the relegation zone.

Zaha, who netted a magnificent goal against Russia last week, tormented the Chelsea players with his skill and direct running.

And Benteke hit the winner shortly afterwards.

Here are five things we learned...

1. Look away now Gareth Southgate

It was the last thing Gareth Southgate needed - a continuation of the Ivory Coast winger’s outstanding form in a Palace shirt. It appears, however, that Zaha has been inspired by the England manager’s claim that he lacks passion.

Chelsea will willingly act as a case for the defence after this. When the Blues took the lead in the fifth minute it looked to be another of those days for the also ran at Stamford Bridge.

Zaha, however, is on a mission to prove that outstanding goal for Russia last week was no flash in the pan. He had no right to find the bottom corner from his position, just inside the box, with three Chelsea players around him.

Right now, however, he scores when he wants. The way he wants. He makes them too, teeing up Christian Benteke for the goal with which Chelsea took the lead.

His regular first-team action for his country, rather than bits and pieces with England, is clearly doing Zaha the power of good. Spurs want to sign him in this summer but he won’t come cheap.


2. Benteke proves his worth

They’ve been expecting a Belgian to rock up at Stamford Bridge and start scoring goals - but they didn’t expect it to be Christian Benteke.

The former Villa and Liverpool man has so far been a flop in a Palace shirt. But what a finish he produced here to put his side in front.

With Courtois racing out to close him down, he waited for his countryman to commit himself then chipped the ball calmly over him.

The goal was only his second in 14 matches but could now spark a run. Because Benteke most definitely does not appear to be struggling with a lack of confidence.


3. Title race back on?

What to make of this from Chelsea? Ten points clear at the top prior to kick-off, it looked all over bar the shouting in terms of the title race. It probably still is.

But Palace proved here that Antonio Conte’s men remain mere mortals. Second-placed Spurs will be delighted.

The Blues were unable to contain the combination of Zaha and Benteke during the first half and, without Victor Moses at right wing-back, lacked balance. Pedro filled in with Fabregas ahead of him on the right of a three.

To be fair, the former Arsenal midfielder scored so he could argue the importance of his contribution. Defensively, however, Chelsea were nowhere near as solid as usual.

The goals scored by Palace made it the first time since January 4 that Conte’s men have conceded twice. The Italian will not be happy.


4. A case for the defence

In terms of appetite Palace’s desire here was excellent. You only need to look at the ankle injury sustained by brave substitute Scott Dann in trying to prevent Costa from scoring as evidence.

The Eagles were oustanding, throwing themselves into tackles, holding their nerve and displaying a determination not to allow their lead to slip. Andros Townsend held the ball up well.

Luka Milivojevic perhaps showed a bit too much steel in midfield and had to be reined in by Sam Allardyce fromt he touchline.

But from looking a shambles when he took over, Palace look far more organised and efficient. The Allardyce effect appears to have made its mark again.


5. Conte's shopping spree

You can see why, despite his domination of the title race since September, Antonio Conte intends to go shopping again during the summer. There are still weaknesses in this Chelsea team/squad that he needs to address.

It is well documented that he is hunting reinforcements in both wing-back positions. We know he wants to sign Sanchez from Arsenal and Lukaku from Everton.

But you can also see why the legs and craft of Monaco’s Tiemoue Bakayoko appeals to the league leaders.

With the chips down, the Chelsea bench consisted of keeper Begovic (who wants to leave), defender Kurt Zouma and attacker Willian (both of whom want to play more regularly), Ruben Loftus Cheek (who the manager appears not to trust), John Terry (now too old) and Nathaniel Chalobah (still not yet ready).

Make no mistake, Chelsea will be active in the transfer market this summer.


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Sun:

EAGLES FLY Chelsea 1 Crystal Palace 2

Christian Benteke’s brilliant goal sends leaders crashing to shock defeat

Palace hit two goals in a minute to bounce back from going a goal behind as Chelsea's lead at the top is cut to seven points

By Paul Jiggins and Duncan Wright

CHRISTIAN BENTEKE scored a brilliant goal as Crystal Palace came from behind to send leaders Chelsea crashing to a shock home defeat.

Benteke showed a touch of class as he left Thibaut Courtois on his backside before calmly flicking a cheeky lob into the back of the net.

The goal capped a remarkable turnaround for Sam Allardyce’s relegation strugglers who had fallen behind after just five minutes when Cesc Fabregas turned home from close range.

But Palace hit back within three minutes when Wilfried Zaha drove a low shot into the bottom corner before the winger turned provider for Benteke to score the winner.


FACTS, STATS, GOALS AND LOLS

IT looked as though it was going to be a comfortable afternoon for Chelsea when Eden Hazard, back from a calf injury, crossed for Cesc Fabregas to slot them ahead in the fifth minute.

BUT Palace stormed back with two goals in two minutes as Wilfried Zaha swivelled to score a perfectly placed equaliser in the ninth minute before setting up Christian Benteke to put the Eagles ahead with a dink shot over Thibaut Courtois 60 seconds later.

THE visitors could face an FA rap, though, after their fans let off a flare and firecracker after their first goal AND another firecracker after their second goal.

YOU have to admire the optimism of the fan who brought two firecrackers to a stadium where a visiting team had not managed to score twice in a match since New Year’s Eve.

FAIR play to the linesman, whoever his name was, for putting Palace coach Kevin Keen in his place for moaning about a first-half call made by ref Craig Pawson. The man with the flag showed he is not for messing with as he shouted back at the former West Ham player: “Oi, who’s got the better view, you are him?”

PALACE keeper Wayne Hennessey had a stormer, blocking Diego Costa’s 22nd minute shot at point-blank range and keeping out efforts from Hazard and Matic before the break.

SAM ALLARDYCE sent on Scott Dann for James Tomkins during the break but the sub was carried off on a stretcher 10 minutes into the second half after hurting his right knee heroically blocking a shot from Costa.

BUT it was Palace who should have scored next as Zaha ran through on goal only to be denied by Courtois’ left boot which diverted the ball just inches wide of his far post.

COSTA then wasted a glorious chance to level when he headed Hazard’s cross wide.

WHAT THEY SAID

“That shocked you didn’t it?”, Crystal Palace boss Sam Allardyce. “The plan was one of the keys to why we’ve won. The plan can only work when players play to their best.”