Crystal Palace 2 - Chelsea 1: Eagles off the mark as Roy Hogdson's side stun Blues

THIS was the day Roy Hodgson realised there is still hope for Crystal Palace - and Antonio Conte learnt that there won't be much for his gutless lot if this is anything to go by.

Wilfried ZahaREUTERS

Wilfried Zaha put Crystal Palace 2-1 up against Chelsea

Hodgson's battling strugglers gave him everything, and got a fully deserved first win - and goal - that will give him that crucial hope when most thought all was lost.

Conte, however, was left in no doubt that when the going gets tough, most of these Chelsea bottlers get going as far away they can!

Quite simply, brave Palace - with man of the match Wilfried Zaha outstanding- were up for it. Feeble Chelsea were not. The champs looked like chumps.

But despite the justified euphoria, Hodgson kept his feet firmly on the ground.

He said: "I thought Wilf was excellent , but it would be unfair to suggest that such a good performance was down to one man. We beat the champions today because this was a great team performance."

Then he warned: "Now we have to go back to square one. We can't assume that just because we have beaten a very good side we are going to win our next games against Newcastle and West Ham." 

My soul is bad right now and I will have trouble sleeping tonight. I hope my players feel the same

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte

Even so, you would never have guessed Palace were in such a winless pointless pickle, because they were all over Chelsea like a rash from the word go… And that first goal they had waited a total of 641 minutes for really was no more than they deserved.

Yohan Cabaye will claim it, but It will probably go down as an own goal by Cesar Azplilicueta - not that anyone in the Holmesdale end cared a dam about that. 

They and Hodgson  haven't erupted with joy like that for quite a while. But after Jeffrey Schlupp set up Cabaye for a shot that left Thibaut Courtois going the wrong way after it took a cruel deflection, the noise was deafening.

What a pity that lead lasted just seven minutes. But subdued though Chelsea had looked, Palace defenders made the mistake of taking eyes off the ball when the champions got their first corner.

Tiemoue Bakayoko was able to rise above his markers and those celebrating fans were silenced as the ball sailed unimpeded into the net.

But let's not take anything away from Palace. They looked a totally different side in those first 45 minutes and got the reward they so richly deserved on the stroke of half-time.

Crystal Palace's Zaha shows off fancy footwork for the Ivory Coast

Battling Mamadou Sakho did the hard work, simply bullying the hapless Azpilicueta out of his way.

But Zaha, back after a such a painfully long lay off, produced some of his trademark magic to burst through the Chelsea defence and grab a superb solo goal.

Once again, those long suffering Crystal Palace fans nearly blew the roof off. And who could blame them?

Cesc Fabregas had a superb effort tipped onto the bar soon after the restart, but that apart Palace were in no mood to surrender to anyone yesterday - particularly Zaha. Chelsea never quite knew what to make of him.

And if Patrick van Aanholt hadn't missed a sitter late on Palace fans fans would probably have stayed even longer than the five minutes they did spend singing Glad All Over after the final whistle.

There was nothing glad about Conte afterwards, however.

Crystal PalaceGETTY

Crystal Palace had failed to score a single Premier League goal before the match

As he admitted: "My soul is bad right now and I will have trouble sleeping tonight. I hope my players feel the same.

"The position is very clear. Now is not an easy moment for us, and we have to find a solution. It won't be easy, but that is my job."

Crystal Palace: Speroni;  Ward, Sakho, Dann, van Aanholt; McArthur Fosu-Mensa 86), Milivojevic , Cabaye (Riedewalk 86) , Schlupp (Puncheon 75) ; Zaha, Townsend.

Chelsea; Courtois; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill; Moses (Zappacosta 40), Fabregas, Babayoko, Alonso; Willian (Musonda 65), Hazard;  Batscuayi (Pedro 57).

Referee: A Marriner.

Man Of Match: Wilfried Zaha. What a happy return. He terrified the life out of Chelsea all afternoon.

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