Crystal Palace

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace's supporters began the afternoon by showing their backing for the team and manager Oliver Glasner. They will have ended it worrying about relegation.

Chairman Steve Parish was watching on as Glasner was cheered on to the pitch before kick-off. It was the manager's first home match since announcing he will leave Palace when his contract expires in June.

Glasner had confirmed what many had long suspected, with his contract nearing its end and open criticisms of the south Londoners' transfer policy dating back to midway through the summer window.

He complained when losing Eberechi Eze to Arsenal and Marc Guehi to Manchester City - sales that have brought Palace back down to earth after winning the FA Cup and qualifying for Europe at the end of last season.

Yet the atmosphere inside the stadium remained upbeat, with supporters getting behind their team regardless of the off‑field turmoil. There was little difference between the two teams in the first half but Chelsea took their first big chance - and Palace didn't - and the visitors pressed home their advantage after half-time.

Palace striker Jean-Philipe Mateta, who wants to leave and has been linked with Aston Villa and Juventus, was the one who squandered their big chance. Meanwhile, Guehi's replacement Canvot cost Palace with a poor backpass for the opener and a handball for the third.

Making matters worse, Adam Wharton's poor decisions led to a sending off, and he will now miss a key trip to Nottingham Forest, who sit just below Palace in the table.

Palace are without a win in eight league matches - 11 in all competitions - with only Burnley currently on a longer streak in the top flight. They should, therefore, be looking over their shoulder at Forest and West Ham, the latter having won their past two home games, in an increasingly competitive battle to avoid relegation to the Championship.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, spoke to BBC Match of the Day after his side's defeat by Chelsea: "Disappointing and frustrating. It looks like, right now, we are not good enough to win the game but we created our chances, we didn't take them and then we made too many mistakes to give the opponents the chances and they took it.

"When you've not won in 10 games the nerves are very thin and then you are 1-0 down and the players are frustrated. They feel we are in the game but 1-0 down again. These are tough moments, tough games. I look at the team and 3-0 down, a red card, you can go out five or six nil, but we came back, scored a goal and made a fight of it so that shows the great character of the group and that gives me a lot of confidence this group will turn it around.

"Confidence is what you get from results. It is my job, my responsibility, with my staff, my group, to get this confidence back. I saw a lot of positives but when you are losing 3-1 and have not won for 11 games then it's completely right to say 'where are the results?'

"That's what we have to get. It is up to us to find these puzzle pieces. There's no magician. I always believe in this group, these players, that we will turn it around."

Did you know?

• Palace conceded a penalty, received a red card and conceded 3+ goals all in the same Premier League game for the first time ever.

• Palace have now failed to win any of their last 11 matches across all competitions (D4 L7), which is both the longest current winless run of any Premier League side and the Eagles' longest winless run since a run of 13 between January and March 2023.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Crystal Palace's performance

What did you make of Chelsea's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Wantaway striker Jean-Philippe Mateta starts for Crystal Palace against Chelsea.

The France international has been linked with moves to Aston Villa and Juventus in January.

Wing-back Daniel Munoz also returns from injury in a huge boost to manager Oliver Glasner.

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson, Munoz, Canvot, Richards, Lacroix, Mitchell, Lerma, Wharton, Sarr, Johnson, Mateta

Subs: Benitez, Sosa, Riad, Rodney, Devenny, Imray, Hughes, Uche, Pino

Chelsea are without star attacker Cole Palmer for the trip to Selhurst Park.

18-year-old winger Estevao Willian starts in place of him, with fellow Brazilian Andrey Santos a surprise pick in midfield.

Injured goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen is also out which allows recalled former Bolton loanee Teddy Sharman-Lowe a place on the bench.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez, James, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella, Santos, Caicedo, Estevao, Fernandez, Neto, Joao Pedro.

Subs: Sharman-Lowe, Gusto, Hato, Fofana, Acheampong, Gittens, Delap, Guiu, Garnacho

There are four games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Brentford v Nottingham Forest - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Crystal Palace v Chelsea - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Newcastle v Aston Villa - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Arsenal v Man Utd (16:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 14:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction from the three 14:00 games here

And go here for Arsenal v Man Utd

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Crystal Palace v Chelsea" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Arsenal v Manchester United", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

The wheels seem to be coming off in a big way at Palace. Marc Guehi has joined Manchester City, Oliver Glasner has hit out at the club's owners after announcing he will leave and now Jean-Philippe Mateta wants away.

It feels as if Glasner does not want to be there and although he seems to have been forgiven for his outburst about the club's hierarchy after defeat at Sunderland last weekend, I just don't think he is going to be around much longer.

Things are far from rosy for Chelsea at the moment either, and I feel a bit sorry for their manager Liam Rosenior. He is getting a kicking in certain places for some of his techniques and because he has come from Strasbourg, and I think that is unfair.

He's an innovative young manager who has done well for himself, and is hungry and ambitious.

If he was a young continental coach, we would be saying this guy is marvellous. Let's give him a chance.

I don't see everything going smoothly for Rosenior this season, but Chelsea got over the line in the Champions League in midweek and I think they will do the same at Selhurst Park.

I just don't know where Palace go from here, and it is really sad.

Maybe the end will come quickly for Glasner, but he cannot continue to show his frustration publicly every week or two, because that is not going to move the club forward.

Sutton's prediction: 0-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

Crystal Palace will attempt to end a 10-match winless run in all competitions against a Chelsea side playing their first Premier League away game under head coach Liam Rosenior.

BBC Sport examines some of the key themes ahead of their meeting at Selhurst Park.

Palace in crisis mode

The month of January is in danger of becoming a full-blown crisis for Crystal Palace.

First, head coach Oliver Glasner announced that he would be leaving south London in a news conference last Friday and although he denied his decision was anything to do with player sales, the £20m departure of captain Marc Guehi to Manchester City was confirmed later that same day.

Then, following Palace's 2-1 loss at Sunderland on Saturday, Glasner said his squad had been "abandoned completely" by the club's hierarchy.

And then on Wednesday, the Eagles' downward spiral took another twist, with key striker Jean-Philippe Mateta informing club officials that he wants to exit Selhurst Park this month.

For a stretched squad currently missing seven players because of injury, including defender Daniel Munoz, Mateta's announcement is a bitter blow.

The 28-year-old forward has been transformed under Glasner, with only Manchester City striker Erling Haaland scoring more than Mateta's 29 non-penalty Premier League goals since Glasner's arrival, form which led to his first caps – and goals – for France in October.

Six of Crystal Palace's last seven Premier League goals at Selhurst Park have been scored by Mateta – and the other was a Nathan Collins own goal.

The last Palace player other than Mateta to score at home in the league was Eddie Nketiah against Liverpool in September. Since then, 17 other Palace players have had a combined 83 shots without netting.

Palace have failed to win any of their past 16 Premier League games against Chelsea, while only Burnley are currently on a longer losing run than Palace's sequence of seven top-flight matches – dual factors that may mean Mateta features on Sunday, whatever his wishes.

Kings of the capital

Chelsea are playing their first Premier League away game under Rosenior, who has won three of his opening four matches in all competitions – most recently a narrow win against Champions League minnows Pafos FC on Wednesday which kept hopes alive of automatic qualification to the knockout stages.

Attention now turns to domestic matters and a local rivalry in London. Chelsea have already beaten West Ham United, Fulham, Tottenham and Brentford this season to continue a strong record in derbies in recent seasons.

Since the start of the 2022-23 season, only Arsenal (97) have won more points in London derbies than Chelsea's 73, while only West Ham (38) have picked up fewer than Crystal Palace's 45 during this period.

Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer both netted in Rosenior's first Premier League game in charge in a derby against Brentford last weekend and the duo will be attempting to emulate the four Blues players who have scored in a manager's opening two fixtures in charge.

They are Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink under Claudio Ranieri, Deco under Luiz Felipe Scolari, Diego Costa under Antonio Conte and Pedro under Maurizio Sarri.

Melissa Edwards
BBC Sport journalist

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Chelsea at Selhurst Park (kick-off 14:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Glasner said last week he "felt abandoned" by the club after their 2-1 loss to Sunderland on Saturday, and explained it was because he is "attached" to Crystal Palace: "I was quite emotional after the game, which I think shows how much the players and Crystal Palace means to me. Some could say 'why do you care you're leaving', but this is how I am. I am attached to the club but it was all the circumstances. It's not that we sold him [Marc Guehi] - I agreed one year ago in February to sell Marc - it's all about timing and replacement."

• He continued: "I know that Crystal Palace will always sell players if they have big offers from other clubs. It's just the situation of telling a team 28 hours before a Premier League game that their captain is leaving. This was my feeling at that moment and this is what I tried to express. It feels like criticism but it was just me telling the emotions I and the team had."

• On whether he regrets his comments: "No I don't regret. Do I think it was the best way? No, I don't think so - but that's Oliver Glasner. I've always told you that's Oliver Glasner. It's a part of what we achieved together that I'm emotional. It helps to create spirit, togetherness and belief. I don't say I'm perfect - I would like to be. I never attacked anyone personally, I just explained my feelings."

• After Guehi's move to Manchester City, Glasner announced he would also be leaving the club at the end of the season. When asked whether the announcement took the board by surprise, he said: "No, never. To be honest, I planned to say it by the end of December because I wanted to avoid anybody saying, 'Oliver is not pleased with the transfer window and that's why he's leaving'. It's nothing to do with it. But then there were all these reasons and a lot of games, and we decided to wait three game weeks."

• Glasner also revealed he met club chairman Steve Parish earlier in the week to discuss the situation and concluded that the pair are "100% committed" to the rest of the season. He added that while the whole saga "was a thunderstorm", the "sun is shining" for his team again.

• Glasner also said striker Jean-Philipe Mateta will play on Sunday despite reports that he wants to leave the club and added: "[It's] very clear. He didn't hand in a transfer request and we have no bid received right now. That's the situation."

• On facing Chelsea: "Enzo Maresca did a great job and now Liam Rosenior continues the job. A great team, fantastic players and the structure also didn't change massively. I watched the Brentford game back and I think Brentford could have won that game. But on the other side, Chelsea were very efficient and punished every mistake Brentford made, and that's the quality of the team and players."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to commentary of Crystal Palace v Chelsea at 14:00 on Sunday on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds

Is there a more wholesome sight than one of your players flying into a tackle?

For all the creativity, smart finishing and wonder goals the Premier League can offer, few such joys would be possible were it not for those feisty fellows charging around to win the ball back for the cause.

This season, those in the graphic above top the charts for putting their foot in.

Tottenham's Joao Palhinha was seemingly born in a pair of shinpads and primed to launch in on someone, while Everton's James Garner continues to impress this season in various areas of his game - underlining why talk of an England call-up continues.

Keep an eye out for these men this weekend. Their opponents will almost certainly end up seeing more of them than they'd bargained for.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves have rejected a bid from Leeds United for striker Jorgen Strand Larsen.

The offer fell well below Wolves' £40m asking price and came a number of days ago.

Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Crystal Palace have shown an interest in the player this month.

Wolves are also willing to let defender Emmanuel Agbadou leave Molineux and are in talks with Besiktas.

The Turkish side's latest offer is £13m, with Wolves looking for £17m for the Ivory Coast international who joined from Reims for £16.6m last January.

Crystal Palace have held talks with Wolves regarding a potential move for 25-year-old Norway striker Jorgen Strand Larsen. (Talksport), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

It may be 2026 but people are throwing it back to 2016 in a popular social trend to show how they and their lives have changed a decade on.

And it is fair to say 2016 was a big year in history.

The United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, Donald Trump was elected as the 45th President of the United States and Pokemon-Go had people running round all over the place.

Rihanna, Justin Bieber and Drake commandeered the charts and a big sporting year saw an Olympics in Brazil and European Championships in France.

But it was a monumental year for the Premier League too.

So let's hop on the viral trend and throw it back to see just what happened in English football a decade ago.

Leicester crowned Premier League champions

Image source, Getty Images

There is only one place to start and that is with Leicester City.

The Foxes achieved the unthinkable when they were crowned 2015-16 Premier League Champions.

It remains an achievement beyond compare as they were rank outsiders at the start of the campaign, and it seems hard to imagine now another team emulating the same underdog success

Leicester were led by the eccentric Italian Mr "Dilly Ding" Claudio Ranieri, with party starter Jamie Vardy plundering goals for fun and N'Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez running rings around the opposition.

It remains one of the greatest sporting stories of all time.

Caballero was the hero as Pellegrini bowed out

Image source, Getty Images

Willy Caballero was Manchester City's hero as they beat Liverpool on penalties to win the Capital One - now Carabao - Cup at Wembley.

The Argentine goalkeeper spectacularly rewarded the faith of manager Manuel Pellegrini with saves from Lucas, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana in the shoot-out after he was selected ahead of first-choice keeper Joe Hart.

That was a huge decision by Pellegrini, but one that ultimately paid off as he lifted his final piece of silverware with City.

Pep Guardiola was to be Pellegrini's successor and the rest was history - so they say.

Mourinho arrived and Pogba returned

Image source, Getty Images

Louis van Gaal's final match as Manchester United manager was the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace which they went on to win in extra-time.

It was United's first trophy since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013 and marked the end of Van Gaal's largely undistinguished two-year spell in charge.

He was replaced by Jose Mourinho and shortly after former Barcelona and Juventus striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived to much fanfare.

But it was the return of Paul Pogba that is perhaps so memorable.

Four years after his departure, Pogba returned to Old Trafford for what was at the time a world-record £89m transfer fee.

Was he worth it? That debate is for another day.

Pardew threw some shapes

Image source, Getty Images

It would not be a 2016 recap without taking a moment for Alan Pardew.

His infamous wiggle - if you can call it that - when Jason Puncheon scored for Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final against Manchester United will go down in history as one of the best (or worst) managerial celebrations.

Pardew was, of course, later sacked in December 2016 after taking just 26 points from the 36 Premier League matches they played that year. Thankfully his iconic dad dancing is out there for us to admire 10 years on.

Image source, Getty Images

After the news Jean-Philippe Mateta is looking to leave Crystal Palace, the concern for fans is other players doing the same, says podcaster Jack Pierce.

It is understood France striker Mateta has told the club he would like to leave this transfer window amid interest from other Premier League and European teams.

This latest blow for fans comes in a week that has seen captain Marc Guehi sign for Manchester City and manager Oliver Glasner reveal his intent to depart at the end of his contract while also hitting out at the club's hierarchy.

"It's the week that keeps on giving," Pierce told BBC Radio London.

"I thought we had had it all on Friday, but then we had the Glasner post-match on Saturday and news has now trickled through on Mateta's future with Palace.

"All of these were potential things at the start of the month, none are great big surprises, but for them to come as a catalogue sequence of events is problematic for Palace and Palace fans.

"If Mateta is still a Palace player at the end of this window then he is certain to leave in the summer. So the concern for Palace fans is, should Mateta leave and follow Marc Guehi out the door, then the players who are left are going to be thinking 'well, what is left for this group of players and who is the next manager going to be?', and those players may well start to speak to their representatives and say 'I need to get out of here, I don't want to be the last man standing'.

"These things are not surprises on their own, it is the sequence of events which is most alarming for Palace fans."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

Top-level managers are getting increasingly fed up with their lot.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is the latest to have a dig at the executives above him for lack of support or accountability.

Recently, Ruben Amorim at Manchester United, Enzo Maresca at Chelsea and Brendan Rodgers at Celtic aimed barbed comments at their boards and quickly found themselves unemployed. ‌

Glasner's comments were a vicious broadside, not just a shot across the boughs, claiming that he and his squad have been "abandoned".

This is blatant mutiny in the ranks as far as owners are concerned. I am surprised he has lasted this long and Palace might just be the outliers, though I doubt it.

If they can get someone else in who they can trust, I am sure they will change the manager ASAP. ‌

So why has Glasner come out fighting after a narrow defeat at Sunderland? Was it the anger and frustration of the moment?

Maybe. Was it the feeling of letting his team and the fans down by stripping the squad of its quality as he said? Partially. ‌

From an understandably selfish position, however, he knows that his standing in the game will plummet if he stays until the end of the season while the squad isn't significantly strengthened.

People know the circumstances, but that isn't how it works. He will get the blame for poor results.

‌ As a manager you are either hot or not when the big clubs are hiring.

Glasner was red-hot after winning the FA Cup, but his reputation is cooling by the week - hence leaving now might just suit him down to the ground.

Sign up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter

Matthew Hobbs
BBC Sport journalist

From the Premier League's elite to the soggy pitches of Sunday league, injuries are part and parcel of football - but which top-flight teams have been worst affected so far this season?

With help from injury expert Ben Dinnery, of premierinjuries.com,, external BBC Sport has examined which sides have been hit the hardest, the impact injuries can have on under-fire managers - and whether things are always as bad as they seem.

• Read more detail on how clubs have been affected by injuries here

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Jean-Philippe Mateta telling Crystal Palace he wants to leave and broader issues such as the departure of club captain Marc Guehi this month, manager Oliver Glasner's public criticism of the Eagles' recruitment strategy and his decision to leave at the end of the season.

Here are some of your comments:

Stephen: Palace need to capitalise on this transfer window and get another striker. If he does not want to stay, let him go - grass always seems greener on the other side.

Al: Two choices - get a replacement in now and sell Mateta, or tell Mateta he stays until the summer window when he'll be sold and between now and then he will be expected to perform. Because he has reverted to the Mateta who first arrived - clumsy on the ball, terrible first touch and poor game/goal ratio. His one-on-one with a keeper is dire. He has failed as a striker since November. Time to do what he's paid for.

Sam: Just obvious that all the leading figures involved in bringing us the FA Cup feel that the club hasn't pushed on as it should have. Since Dougie Freedman left, it seems we have no real vision for squad development or renewal. Why would Mateta stay when he has the chance to pursue big prizes? Sad but not at all surprised.

Joe: It's not surprising, but we have to cash in and have a replacement lined up. He's 29 in June and is missing big opportunities in front of the goal all season. He's always said we're his stepping stone, so thank you, goodbye and bring in Jorgen Strand Larsen.

Rob: Not surprised with the rats leaving a sinking ship. Will they do better elsewhere? All I care about is Crystal Palace. We've been through worse. Good luck to them, I say.

Andrew: Saddened to see the rush to being a feeder club again - why revert to a strategy of building players and selling them, staying mid-level and not having ambition to rise? Crystal Palace is a wonderful club, friendly and the base for many amazing careers. Be even better to see them aim higher.

Alex Howell
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The news Jean-Philippe Mateta has told Crystal Palace he wants to leave will be a blow, but not a surprise to supporters of the club.

Mateta, since his remarkable upturn in form over the past 18 months, has always made clear his desire to play at the highest level and has aims of playing in the Champions League and representing France at the World Cup.

The 29-year-old's World Cup dream, one that seemed distant before Oliver Glasner's arrival at the club, is one that can be achieved now after making his senior debut in October while the frontman has scored in his last two appearances for Les Bleus.

Sources with knowledge of Mateta's situation say the player is disappointed with the club's attitude because it has not kept its promises in terms of a new contract, recruitment and ambition, with the forward keen on a new challenge.

The timing compounds a difficult period at Selhurst Park given Marc Guehi's departure, Glasner's forthcoming exit and the FA Cup embarrassment.

Palace are also winless in 10 matches and are still without key right wing back Daniel Munoz, who is injured, while Daichi Kamada is also on the treatment table.

Ismaila Sarr, a key forward alongside Mateta in the Eagles attack, has missed nine games while he has been helping Senegal win the Africa Cup of Nations.

Mateta himself is playing through a knee injury but his track record of scoring in the Premier League will make him an attractive option to clubs.

Palace made a club record signing in bringing Brennan Johnson to south London early in January from Tottenham but will need to be active before the transfer window closes on 2 February if they are to turn around what has been a challenging start to the year.

Image source, Getty Images

It's been a challenging couple of weeks for Crystal Palace fans.

With Jean-Philippe Mateta telling the club he wants to leave amid interest from Juventus and Aston Villa, and Oliver Glasner confirming Palace are prepared to listen to offers with 18 months left on the striker's deal, uncertainty is growing at Selhurst Park.

Add to that the departure club captain Marc Guehi this month, Glasner's public criticism of the club's recruitment strategy and his decision to leave at the end of the season, and it feels like several long-simmering issues are now coming to the surface.

So, how are you feeling about where the club is right now?

Get in touch with your views here

Ellie Killick
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

From lifting the FA Cup with his club to winning the Africa Cup of Nations with his country, the past year has been a fairytale for Ismaila Sarr.

After joining Crystal Palace in 2024 as a replacement for Michael Olise, Sarr endured a slow start, but has since become a fundamental part of Palace's success.

It was always going to be a tough ask to fill the boots of arguably the best player to ever wear a Palace shirt, but once the Senegalese winger settled, his importance became clear.

Since signing he has picked up 20 goals, three of which proved pivotal in our FA Cup run, as well as the equaliser against Liverpool in the Community Shield.

If he hasn't been keeping up with the events back home while away, it's safe to say he's in for a shock! His absence, through a combination of injury and international duty, has had a clear impact.

Since his last appearance in December, Palace haven't won a single league game, have scored just three league goals and have looked totally lacklustre in the final third. We've also failed to outright qualify for the Conference League and got knocked out of the FA Cup during that period.

So, is Sarr the spark Palace have been missing?

It would be naive to say one player alone could fix the woes the club is currently facing at the moment, but returning to the side on a high of winning a major international tournament could be exactly what Palace need.

His energy, directness and goal threat have been sorely missed and hopefully his return may provide a much-needed lift at a difficult time.

Find more from Ellie Killick at Eagle Eye View, external

Sometimes, in this age of playing through the lines and technical proficiency, there remains a time when you just have to put your foot (or head) through it.

There are those defenders fans (and players) rely on to do just that.

Step forward Joachim Andersen and Virgil van Dijk, who stand in the way of attacks and take no nonsense, sending it away with head, foot or body in the name of getting the job done.

The two top the charts for successful clearances this season, with shoutouts going to a supporting cast of proper defenders.