Chelsea's £250m attack misfires against Crystal Palace

Chelsea started against Crystal Palace with new signing Joao Pedro up front, Cole Palmer playing in behind, Jamie Gittens on the left and Pedro Neto on the right - and another creative influence, Enzo Fernandez, in midfield.

However, they struggled to create anything before the break and could well have been behind.

In the second half, two other new attackers - Estevao and Liam Delap - came off the bench when the hosts were pushing for a winner and Palace appeared willing to settle for a point away at a 'big-six' opponent.

The six attackers mentioned above cost Chelsea close to £250m in total - not including the £107m for midfielder Fernandez - so fans would no doubt expect the Blues to create plenty of chances.

But they mustered just three shots on target on Sunday - one fewer than Palace - and could have done with someone like former winger Eden Hazard, who was watching on in the stands.

Chelsea will feel their attack will start firing soon, but perhaps their short pre-season and addition of so many new players, once again, means they take time to settle.

This was a missed opportunity for the Blues who were in celebration mode before kick-off, which helped create one of the loudest atmospheres at Stamford Bridge since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Yet the positive feelings from winning the Club World Cup and Conference League could not be translated into a statement display on the field. However, goodwill among their fanbase is still alive despite a disappointing opening result.