Of course the real narrative came in the dying moments of the match as former Eagles loanee and blonde bombshell Conor Gallagher struck from distance to score the first goal for his boyhood club. Unlike Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who also spent time on loan at Selhurst Park and went full on with his celebrations against them in the FA Cup clash last season, Gallagher chose for the muted acknowledgement. Understandable as he enjoyed a good relationship with the fans there, but disappointing as a goal of that quality -- and it being the winner - really deserved him to go all out.
Having two matches postponed in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's passing has allowed Potter to work with his new charges, see what they have to offer and bring his own tactics to the table. He opted for a flat back four, something some fans have been crying out for, despite the club's abysmal record when they leave themselves exposed at the back. However after being overrun in midfield in the previous matches, it may have felt necessary to the new boss. Rather than a 4-3-3, it appeared the new boss opted for a more 4-2-2-2 shape allowing a lot more freedom to some or Chelsea's players.
As the Blues were coming to grips with their new shape, Crystal Palace were able to capitalise with an early goal from Odsonne Edouard. He had clearly watched tapes of Wesley Fofana's performances in the Champions League this season and made the most of it. Before the break, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted his first goal for Chelsea but not without controversy. Moments before his Drogba-esque turn, Thiago Silva who assisted him had been caught up in an entanglement with Jordan Ayew.
The two collided en route to Chelsea's 18-yard box and when down, Thiago Silva appeared to have handled the ball. Palace were desperate to see the Brazilian sent off for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity. However with their distance from goal, and the number of Blues in the box ready to deal with any run from Ayew's part, the defender was merely shown a yellow and we all just moved on with our lives. Of course O Monstro popped up to nod the ball down for Auba's equaliser, but the ball in from Reece James deserves a mention of it's own. Lost amid the narrative, it was a stunning pass that has been a hallmark of his game.
Reece James was charged with marking Wilfried Zaha out of the match and did so with aplomb. The England star was so effective that Zaha was forced to change wings to try and find a break through. What that says about Ben Chilwell, I'm not sure. But Palace knew there was no getting past James on Saturday - something the Man United flop tried to play down on social media after the match. But he quickly deleted his post.
James wasn't the only unsung star from the weekend. Kepa quietly had another outstanding performance and hopefully has come a little closer to staking his claim for a starting role even when all goalkeepers are fit. There wasn't much he could do about the goal itself, but made a number of key saves, caught crosses and has really begun to command his area. What makes our Spanish No. 1 standout from the others though is his distribution and forward thinking play. He's not constantly just rolling it to Thiago looking for an easy pass - but seeing how he can get it out quickly and into attack. Deserves a run in this side under the new boss and his new goalkeeping coach.
Next up, the return of Olivier Giroud and Fikayo Tomori to Stamford Bridge.
jb xx
RESULT: Crystal Palace 1-2 Chelesa
GOALS: Edouard 7', Aubameyang 38', Gallagher 90'
CHELSEA XI: Kepa, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz (Conor Gallagher 76'), Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho (Ruben Loftus-Cheek 56') , Mason Mount (Christian Pulisic 84'), Raheem Sterling, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Armando Broja 75')
STAR MAN: Reece James
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