Gary Neville
Former Manchester United defender on Sky Sports

Image source, Getty Images

Thiago Silva is a model for any young centre back in reading the game.

Hard to believe that Chelsea centre-back Thiago Silva is 40 in September. He is mopping up most of the long Palace balls forward with ease so far.

Alex Howell
BBC Sport at Selhurst Park

Noni Madueke has shown a few flashes of how dangerous he can be when he has the ball.

Tyrick Mitchell and Jefferson Lerma team up to stop Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto in his tracks. I suspect it will not be the first time this evening the Palace pair are called on to double up on an opponent.

Palace midfielder Will Hughes wins a free-kick down the right and then gets up to take it.

The former Derby and Watford man pings it towards the back stick where Chris Richards gets his head to it. The American's effort glances well wide.

Image source, Getty Images

Gary Neville
Former Manchester United defender on Sky Sports

Crystal Palace are getting the ball forward quickly, they aren't messing around. It is pragmatic football.

Chelsea winger Noni Madueke tries a pretty flash back heel on the edge of the Palace box and of course receives a huge jeer when it doesn't come off as intended.

Alex Howell
BBC Sport at Selhurst Park

Image source, Reuters

The Crystal Palace fan group, the Holmesdale fanatics, have shown a number of banners so far this evening which have shared their frustration with the club. The last one reads 'the fans are the club'.

The home side win a throw high up the pitch and get a huge cheer.

Chelsea are zinging the ball from one side of the pitch to the other with the hosts sitting in inviting them to break them down.

Palace forward Jordan Ayew tries his luck from distance and on the turn but that's pretty much a back pass and Chelsea keeper Djordje Petrovic collects it easily.

Matheus Franca has an early hack at Noni Madueke and brings the Chelsea man down. The visitors take the free-kick quickly but Malo Gusto overhits his cross from the right.

An early spell of Chelsea possession. The visitors looking very comfortable.

And away we go. Palace get us under way.

Pyrotechnics, smoke, cheerleaders and loud music greets the players as they come out onto the Selhurst Park pitch.

We might as well be at the Super Bowl, albeit there is no sign of R&B star Usher.

The teams are in the tunnel and the atmosphere is building. It's almost time for the main event.

Chelsea

Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino speaking to Sky Sports: "I think we realised we needed to approach the game in a different way [at Aston Villa] to the previous game. I know it is a different competition but we want to follow it and keep the feeling and to play together. We have talent and want to enjoy playing football.

"To be consistent is to understand how we train and behave and how it translate to the pitch. With a new team it is always about finding the balance to compete. To be consistent is the biggest challenge for us."

On Thiago Silva and being under pressure: "He has played a lot and I hope he can do a very good job. We are all under pressure and we need to win every single game. When you don't win you are under pressure. It is the new era of football, you need to win every single game if not problems appear."