Crystal Palace

Alex Pewter
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

With the Southampton game a week ago, Tyrick Mitchell reached a significant milestone in his senior career: 150 Premier League appearances for Crystal Palace. This season has cemented him as the defender with the third-most appearances at the highest level for the club, behind only Joel Ward and Scott Dann.

Since debuting under Roy Hodgson in 2020 as a defence-first full-back, Mitchell has continued to be one of the most effective one-on-one tacklers in the Premier League. For instance, in Saturday's match-up with Chelsea's Pedro Neto, early threats from the Portugal winger saw Mitchell adapt successfully to preserve the balance of the game.

One curiosity in the squad-building at Selhurst Park has been that since Patrick van Aanholt left in summer 2021, Mitchell has essentially been the only dedicated left-back in the squad.

Given the workload and burden on any wide player, defensive or attacking, it is more impressive that he has only missed five league matches in that time. The long-held suspicion is that he has had to play through the inevitable niggles due to being that lone left-sided defender.

Yet, with the suggestion that Palace will finally recruit competition at his left wing-back spot, the idea has emerged that Mitchell will inevitably lose his place in the team rather than benefit from improved squad depth.

The transition under Oliver Glasner from full-back to wing-back has been steep for a player developed under very different coaches, but it has not been unsuccessful. Currently, he is joint with Ismaila Sarr for creating the most Opta-defined 'big chances' this season, and he has three assists to his name, without the aid of set-pieces.

Despite online speculation to the contrary, his contract is due to expire in 2027, making him a firm part of the club's long-term future - and it is unlikely Mitchell will give up his starting spot willingly.

Find more from Alex Pewter at FYP podcast, external

Image source, Unique Sports Group

Crystal Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix helped to fund 50 bags of clothes for men and women in South London experiencing homelessness of the Christmas period.

The essential kits worth £100 contained a waterproof bag, a tracksuit, three pairs of thermal socks, five boxers, toiletries, gloves and a hat. They were given out on 23 December in collaboration with Spires charity.

Spires said Maxence also spent two hours chatting with their clients, who shared their experiences and enjoyed his football stories.

Seven other Palace players donated to the cause, in addition to the Unique Sports Group.

Chelsea are debating whether to recall English defender Trevoh Chalobah, 25, from his loan spell at Crystal Palace or try to sign a new defender in January. (Teamtalk), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace are interested in Liverpool forward Ben Doak, who is on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship as they look for January reinforcements.

The Eagles are looking to add a left wing-back and an attacker to their squad to increase the options manager Oliver Glasner has for the second half of the season.

Doak has two goals and six assists in 21 appearances for Middlesbrough so far this season.

Liverpool have had offers for Doak with clubs in the Premier League and across Europe showing interest in the Scotland winger. Palace have had a £15m bid rejected, according to reports.

However, the bids so far for 19-year-old do not come close to what the Reds are looking for, with the Anfield club valuing him at about £30m.

Doak has helped Boro to fifth place in the Championship and are happy with how his stint at the Riverside club is going. They believe he has the quality to return and play for them in the future.

The Eagles have also been linked with Jobe Bellingham of Sunderland and RC Lens midfielder Andy Diouf, but one source has said a move for either midfielder is unlikely this month.

Elsewhere, Chelsea do have a recall option on Trevoh Chalobah, who is on loan at Selhurst Park but Glasner is "planning" for him to stay.

"Trevoh is doing very well for us and we are planning with him," the Austrian said after Saturday's 1-1 draw between the clubs.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Crystal Palace and Chelsea.

Here are some of your comments:

Palace fans

Glen: The team have to be more consistent. The first half was far too respectful and we just let Chelsea play. The second half was like watching a different team. The energy and pace of the play was excellent and what is needed. Overall, it was a decent match. My only worry is the lack of depth in the squad at the moment.

Derek: A massive point considering Chelsea are one of our bogey sides. There is a lot to look forward to, given the long-awaited returns of Matheus Franca and Adam Wharton.

Adam: I just love the fact that Chelsea can't beat us! Yes, we weren't great in the first half, but the next 45 minutes were epic. We fought and created chances. It was good to watch. Well done Oliver Glasner - that must have been one hell of a half-time team talk.

Al: Three months ago, we would have lost this game, but the team is showing a resilience, a togetherness and a refusal to give up. We had injuries and loan restrictions but we still showed our potential. Consistency is key and hopefully 2025 will bring this, under Glasner's guidance.

Chelsea fans

Freddie: It's an age-old issue that has come back to haunt us; many chances created and not enough taken. I can't fault anyone in particular, except for Nicola Jackson, who should have put away at least one goal. But it doesn't look great after the last few games. Josh Acheampong looked amazing at centre-back though, could he be the answer to our injury woes?

Jarvis: Enzo Maresca has no Plan B. He lacks the technical ability to change the team's shape during the game. Every time we go ahead but we don't score a second or third when we are actually bossing the game. The opposition suss us out and get on top. We need a world-class striker. It's pointless making all these chances if we don't score from them. Too early for Maresca out?

Jamie: Substitutes were far too late again, just like against Fulham. Either go for the second goal and change a winger or add some reinforcements to the midfield. We desperately need Romeo Lavia back.

John: Every team has a wobble and as long as Maresca can get us a Champions League spot, he has done his job properly.

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Crystal Palace 1-1 Chelsea

• Brighton 1-1 Arsenal

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has been speaking to Match of the Day after the game: "At the end, it is a deserved point. In the first 20 or 30 minutes, Chelsea were clearly the better team and deserved to take the lead but, in the last 10 to 15 minutes of the first half, we started to play forwards and then we were in the game.

"We were creating chances and everyone at Selhurst Park then gets the feeling 'we are back'. The fans had the feeling, the players had the feeling, and it was an excellent goal.

"We were giving them too much of the ball, losing it too quickly, but staying in the game was important. We always know we can score a goal and that's what we did at the end.

"You can feel and see that we are progressing. Having five points from three games is really positive. It is about how quickly we can pass the ball and find solutions."

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace have avoided defeat against Chelsea, both home and away, in a single league campaign for the first time since 1991-92, where they also drew both games.

Eberechi Eze assisted his seventh Premier League goal for Jean-Phillipe Mateta in this game. No Crystal Palace player has ever assisted a teammate more often in the competition - Andros Townsend also made seven assists for Christian Benteke.

Bobbie Jackson
BBC Sport Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Inconsistency has been the overriding theme for Crystal Palace in 2024-25 and that was the case again when Chelsea made the short trip to Selhurst Park.

Palace could have been down and out at half-time but were fortunate to trail by just a strike from Cole Palmer.

They came out with renewed vigour in the second period and were almost level within minutes when Eberechi Eze rolled the ball just wide.

A more competitive second half eventually saw the Eagles find an equaliser through Jean-Philippe Mateta in the 82nd minute - tapping in from close range.

Scoring goals still remains a big concern for Oliver Glasner's side, with only Everton, Ipswich and Southampton netting fewer, but their resilience can't be questioned as they hung in against a strong Chelsea side to claim a share of the points.

The draw means that Palace are unbeaten in three, drawing two and winning one, and have lost just one of their last nine league outings.

Relegation is still a serious concern with just a six point gap to the drop zone, however, the potential of new arrivals this month to bolster their attack could bring about a greater positivity in 2025.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Crystal Palace fans - what did you make of the game?

Chelsea supporters, let us know your thoughts

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

There are seven games in the Premier League on Saturday, and we will bring you every moment.

• Tottenham v Newcastle (12:30)

• Aston Villa v Leicester

• Bournemouth v Everton

• Crystal Palace v Chelsea - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Man City v West Ham

• Southampton v Brentford

• Brighton v Arsenal (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all the action and reaction here

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.

For week 20, he takes on The Zutons frontman Dave McCabe, who supports Liverpool.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Chelsea are having a wobble, and the worry for manager Enzo Maresca is when will it end?

Their performance in their shock defeat by Ipswich was very flat and although Maresca had made a few changes for that game, I saw nothing to suggest they will bounce back with a win at Selhurst Park.

Crystal Palace have only lost two of their past 11 league games, and they seem to have turned a corner.

This game smells of a draw to me, which will keep Palace moving away from the bottom three, but does not help Chelsea much at the top of the table.

It looks like Maresca was right when he played down his side's title chances after people like myself said before Christmas that they were genuine contenders.

I thought he was just taking the pressure off his players but he is in the building with them every day and he knows them better than the rest of us.

Their past three results suggest they are not going to go the distance, and I can see them dropping more points here.

McCabe's prediction: 0-2

Chelsea will win this - they need to, just to make things more interesting for themselves.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Image source, Getty Images

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has said midfielder Adam Wharton is still unable to train after having an operation on his groin in November.

It was hoped the surgery would solve the 20-year-old's issue but, on 24 December, Glasner revealed Wharton was expected to miss another month after a setback.

"He can't train at the moment," the Austrian said on Friday.

"We expected, after surgery, the pain and the problems would be gone. They were not.

"It's unsatisfying that it takes longer and longer and longer, and we are trying to find solutions.

"We didn't find the right ones and that's why it takes longer and longer.

"If you have problems in the hip area, it's a very complex area, you have many muscles, the groin, the pubis. It's not always just one part.

"Now we have to deal with these issues and, of course, we all hope and are doing our best to get him back."

As we enter a new calendar year and the halfway point of the season, the Opta Supercomputer has been busy making its predictions.

But who is looking most likely to be playing their football outside the top flight next season?

It is bad news for fans of the teams who made their return to the Premier League this campaign.

According to the Opta Supercomputer's simulations, Southampton - rooted to the bottom of the table on just six points - are all but guaranteed to be playing Championship football again next term with a 99.47% chance of being relegated.

The picture is also not a rosy one for Leicester City and Ipswich Town supporters, who occupy the other two relegation spots. The Supercomputer does not see too much change there - the Foxes and the Tractor Boys having a 74.61% and 70.81% chance of relegation respectively.

It is better news for Wolves under new head coach Vitor Pereira, with Wanderers now having only a 39.21% chance of a Championship return, while Everton fans will be pleased to see they have just a 12.52% chance as they hope to see Premier League football in their new stadium next season.

Crystal Palace, West Ham and Brentford can all breathe easier with Opta predicting just a 1.68%, 0.81% and 0.72% chance of relegation respectively.

And what about Manchester United after new boss Ruben Amorim declared them to be facing a relegation battle? Well, it is good news for Red Devils fans as the chance of them actually playing Championship football next campaign is just 0.11%.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Chelsea (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Will Hughes will not be available because of the foot injury he sustained against Southampton that required stitches. Glasner said "it is too swollen and too painful to wear a boot".

• Fellow midfielder Adam Wharton is also sidelined with the Palace boss unable to give a timeframe for his return.

• Glasner said "it is clear Cheick Doucoure will start next to Jeffery Lerma" in the absence of midfielders Hughes and Wharton.

• Matheus Franca has started to train with the group after missing eight months through injury. Glasner said "it is very positive" but it will take time for him to readjust.

• Centre-back Trevoh Chalobah is unable to play against his parent club but Marc Guehi will return to the squad having served his suspension.

• On whether Palace would be interested in making Chalobah's deal permanent: "A deal happens if three parties are happy with it - the two clubs and the player. If all parties want to have a deal, and agree, it will happen. He's doing really well for us and we were very consistent in our defensive line, with Dean Henderson as goalkeeper as well."

• On Palace's intentions in the transfer window: "We want to sign two players. The profiles are clear. Players are fixed. There's a clear commitment to sign two players."

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

Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live commentary of Crystal Palace v Chelsea at 15:00 on Saturday

Image source, Getty Images

Of Crystal Palace's Premier League goals this season, 30% have been scored by defenders, the highest share in the division (six out of 20).

Brentford, West Ham and Fulham are monitoring the contract situation of 29-year-old English midfielder Will Hughes at Crystal Palace. (Football Insider), external

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

We asked you to tell us what Crystal Palace's New Year's resolution should be.

Here are some of your replies:

Simon: For 2025, we need to tie our key players to longer contracts with significant buy-out clauses, if we are going to keep building under Glasner. We need to be ruthless to cut the players who aren't contributing and replace them with ones that can. A few passengers need to be offloaded.

Al: Get the owners to fully back the manager and give him the players he wants. I also hope that we nurture and promote the academy into the first team.

Neil: To finish in the top half. Trade players proactively and wisely, with no quick fixes. Clear the remaining pre-build development issues because the players need to be proud of their ground and club, as well as their bank balances!

Derek: It has to be the ground improvements in order to get more bums on seats. That coupled with the retention of all quality players, so that we can blend a week-in week-out XI that play as a team.

Lee: Isak exchange for Nketiah would be nice. If Newcastle aren't open to that, then maybe some full-back coverage for Mitchell and Munoz, especially with Mitchell's contract being up in the summer. Transfers aside, getting key players like Wharton and Doucoure fit and in form will improve us massively. I would also love to see the talented Rak-Sakyi recalled from loan and given an extended chance in the first team.

Donald: Get Matheus Franca fit and playing. He has showed real promise in the glimpses we have seen so far and is the most natural Michael Olise replacement out of our whole squad. Let's hope we don't have another Nathan Ferguson situation on our hands.

Image source, PA Media

Eberechi Eze believes the 2-1 win over Southampton can be the starting point for Crystal Palace to "kick on" in the second half of the season.

Pre-season hopes of a successful campaign were increased following a superb end to last term; however, Oliver Glasner's side have struggled during the first half of the season.

Only Ipswich, Everton and Southampton have scored fewer than Palace's tally of 20 Premier League goals.

But the Eagles moved six points clear of the relegation zone on Sunday, as they came from behind to beat the division's bottom club at Selhurst Park.

"You try to make the right decision all the time, you're trying to do the right things, but sometimes it comes off and sometimes it doesn't," said the England international.

"But I think the mentality was there, we kept pushing, we kept going and I feel like that's the main thing - that's what actually gets you goals in the end.

"We're not where we want to be, for sure, but I feel like we're in the right place. We've got the right mindset.

"I feel like we'll kick on."

Eze's winning goal was his first in the Premier League since 1 September.

He told club media: "It's football, isn't it? That's how it goes, sometimes you score, sometimes you miss. You've got to keep the mentality just to keep going and keep pushing.

"I always believe in myself and I'm always confident, so I know that there are phases that will go by, but I trust myself."

Christmas is boxed off.

We're almost through the confusing days before New Year and January is within touching distance.

And we need your help - what is Crystal Palace's New Year's resolution?

It could be a new player to sign, a tactical system to implement, an off-the-pitch matter or something else entirely.

Let us know