Chelsea's clinical finishing and aggressive pressing proved too much for a resilient Crystal Palace side, as the Blues secured a comfortable 3-1 victory at Selhurst Park.

The visitors dominated possession, recording a 57% share, and outshot their opponents 10-13, with 6 shots on target compared to Palace's 7. This translated to a higher expected goals (xG) of 2.20 for Chelsea, compared to 1.77 for the home team. The Blues' passing accuracy of 85% also highlighted their superior control of the game.

Estevao opened the scoring for Chelsea in the 34th minute, and Joao Pedro doubled their lead shortly after the break. A VAR-confirmed penalty converted by Fernandez put the game firmly in Chelsea's grasp, despite a late consolation goal from Crystal Palace's Chris Richards.

The tactical key to Chelsea's victory was their relentless pressure, winning the ball high up the pitch and denying Palace the opportunity to build from the back. This is reflected in the visitors' 10 tackles compared to just 7 for the home side. The dismissal of Adam Wharton for Crystal Palace in the 72nd minute further compounded their tactical woes, as they struggled to maintain their defensive shape against Chelsea's possession-based approach.