Chelsea venture south of the river to Crystal Palace in the Premier League for an 8pm kick-off at Selhurst Park. This round of fixtures is the reverse of those just after Christmas, which included the Blues’ 2-1 victory over the Eagles at Stamford Bridge.

It will be the Blues’ third Monday Night Football appearance of the season. Each has been a London derby across town and the previous two were fine wins for the visitors: 2-0 at Fulham and 4-1 at Tottenham.

Both tonight’s teams conceded four goals last time out in the league: the Glaziers at Brighton and Mauricio Pochettino’s men at home to Wolves.

While Palace have had a clear week to recover, Chelsea enjoyed an emphatic morale-boost at Villa Park on Wednesday in the FA Cup – the reaction to previous set-backs everyone wanted and needed. Equally important as that first away win of 2024 was the manner of it. The standard has been set - the next challenge is consistency.

That meant the Blues yet again saved London’s blushes to be the capital’s sole representatives in the last 16 – the 11th time we have reached that stage in 12 years.

Impressively, Chelsea have won 79 per cent of Premier League meetings with Palace – the highest success rate of any side against another in the competition’s history.

Chelsea team news

Backed by wonderful support, Chelsea’s young lions took another step towards writing a fresh chapter in the club’s history in midweek. From the pre-match huddle that set the tone, to the joyous scenes at the end, it was a night of great intensity and passion as the Londoners comprehensively defeated a top-four team on their own formidable patch.

In between were gifts for Pochettino to use going forward. Conor Gallagher’s first goal of the season, Nicolas Jackson’s header and pressing ability, and Enzo Fernandez’s postage-stamp-perfect direct free-kick against his international team-mate Emiliano Martinez.

The blueprint to beat Villa’s press and disrupt their supply routes could work effectively going forward and the understanding between Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile (they played 65 times together as Monaco’s centre-backs) kept a dangerous attack at bay.

One downside was the Villans’ late consolation, meaning our most recent clean sheet on the road in any competition remains against Fulham in early October.

In last weekend’s win for Brighton against Palace, the Seagulls hurt their opponents with crosses - including inswinging corners - stole the ball high upfield and used pace against their backline. With a youthful starting XI like we had on Wednesday, there’s no reason Chelsea cannot do similar.

However, Badiashile received a knock on Wednesday, Alfie Gilchrist and Thiago Silva seeing out the win in the heart of defence. Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah are both nearing their return from injury, though, with the former facing a fitness test to determine his availability for tonight's game.

Chelsea’s next successful penalty in the Premier League will be our 150th. Noni Madueke’s winner in the reverse fixture at the Bridge was number 148.

Goal contributions in all competitions 2023/24

Opposition scout - Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace have won each of their last two games at Selhurst Park, scoring three on both occasions. However, only Burnley and Sheffield United have a lower goals for tally than Roy Hodgson’s side.

At the other end of the field, just six teams have conceded more times. Palace have given the ball away too readily this season and are susceptible to counter-attacks, especially down the flanks. They have not managed a clean sheet in 19 top-flight meetings with Chelsea.

In January, Hodgson brought in Colombia international Daniel Munoz, a tackling, goalscoring defender from Genk, and teenage midfielder Adam Wharton. Both made their debuts in the 4-1 loss to Brighton.

The venerable coach has lost each of his last nine meetings with the Blues, and 16 overall – his worst record against any opponent. He has also lost six straight against Pochettino, who has in turn won 12 of his 14 league encounters with the Eagles.

Former Blue Marc Guehi and fellow defender Joel Ward may return for this game, but Cheick Doucoure, Eberechi Eze, Rob Holding, Michael Olise, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi are all out. Eze and Olise will be especially missed as the south Londoners have won one and lost four of the six matches without the dynamic pair in the starting line-up.

The two talisman have made or scored a third of the Eagles’ league goals. That said, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Odsonne Edouard, who take turns leading the line, have both contributed to six goals, while for hard-working wideman Jordan Ayew, back from Africa Cup of Nations duty with Ghana, the figure is seven.

Crystal Palace vs Chelsea - The history

Chelsea’s current run of uninterrupted victories against Crystal Palace is the equal longest in our league history. The only sequence to match it was the dozen wins against West Bromwich Albion between 1989 and 2011.

Chelsea's 13-game winning run against Crystal Palace in all competitions

March 2018 - Premier League - Chelsea 2-1 Crystal Palace
November 2018 - Premier League - Chelsea 3-1 Crystal Palace
December 2018 - Premier League - Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea
November 2019 - Premier League - Chelsea 2-0 Crystal Palace
July 2020 - Premier League - Crystal Palace 2-3 Chelsea
October 2020 - Premier League - Chelsea 4-0 Crystal Palace
April 2021 - Premier League - Crystal Palace 1-4 Chelsea
August 2021 - Premier League - Chelsea 3-0 Crystal Palace
February 2022 - Premier League - Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea
April 2022 - FA Cup - Chelsea 2-0 Crystal Palace
October 2022 - Premier League - Crystal Palace 1-2 Chelsea
January 2023 - Premier League - Chelsea 1-0 Crystal Palace
December 2023 - Premier League - Chelsea 2-1 Crystal Palace

The derby spree began on 10 March 2018 with a 2-1 victory at the Bridge. The visitors were actually aiming to become the first Premier League side to win three times in succession at Stamford Bridge, but went behind after 25 minutes when Willian’s shot deflected in off Martin Kelly to record his highest tally in a season for the Blues.

Seven minutes later Kelly’s clearance of a Davide Zappacosta drive rebounded off keeper Wayne Hennessy and himself to cross the line. Cobham graduate Patrick van Aanholt scored a last-minute consolation for Palace.

N’Golo Kante was on target in the first of our five wins at Selhurst Park nine months later and, in July 2020, Palace came back twice there, but Tammy Abraham’s second-half goal was enough for a 3-2 success.

The heftiest away victory came in April 2021, behind closed doors because of Covid, when Christian Pulisic picked out a brace in a 4-1 win. One goal proved enough for the Blues two years ago this month, Hakim Ziyech scoring late, and last season the west Londoners came from behind to win 2-1 thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Conor Gallagher (against his former loan club).

Derby double

Chelsea’s mid-January league victory over Fulham completed our second ‘double’ of the season, following similar home and away wins against Luton Town.

Tonight’s trip south of the river is an opportunity to add to that tally after the late penalty earned and converted by Noni Madueke brought a 2-1 result at Crystal Palace’s expense, at the Bridge the day after Boxing Day.

The two teams headed into the weekend streets apart in terms of derby results. Half of Chelsea’s four gains in the capital this season have come on the road (Tottenham and Fulham), while the Eagles’ only local success was on home soil against Brentford, just after Christmas.

Premier League London derbies 2023/24