Chelsea 1-1 Crystal Palace: Blues Player Ratings as London rivals hold on to hard-fought draw

Chelsea were unable to break a resolute Crystal Palace defense in the second half as they were held to a 1-1 draw in the Premier League on Sunday, September 1.

Heading into the game, Blues manager Enzo Maresca made a solitary change to the side that beat Wolves 6-2 last week. Pedro Neto earned his first start in the league for the side, replacing Mykhailo Mudryk.

Palace, meanwhile, made a host of signings at the deadline but were unable to register any of them in time. Nathaniel Clyne played in central defense, while Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eberechi Eze were the side's primary attacking options.

Chelsea were dominant in the first period, enjoying the lion's share of the possession while Palace were content to sit deep and absorb the pressure. The hosts eventually took the lead in the 25th minute as a sweeping move saw Cole Palmer set up Nicolas Jackson with a simple tap-in to make it 1-0.

The second half began in a similar manner as Enzo Maresca's side looked to put the result to bed. However, it was the Eagles who pulled them back, with Eze finding the back of the net with a brilliant curling effort to draw the visitors level in the 53rd minute.

Chelsea surged ahead in search of the winner for the remainder of the game but lacked the creativity to unlock the Palace defence. The result sees the visitors earn the first points of the season, while the hosts will have a lot to think about as they head into the international break.

Here are the player ratings:

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Chelsea Player Ratings

Robert Sanchez - 6/10

A solid game from the Spaniard who didn't have much to do. In all, he made two saves while completing 90 percent (28/31) of his passes.

Malo Gusto - 5.5/10

The inverted role takes away Gusto's best ability of providing attacking support down the flank. He was solid but was seemingly taken off with an injury.

Wesley Fofana - 6/10

While the Frenchman was solid on the night, Chelsea fans will not have gained confidence from the defending from the side overall. Later on, he was played at right-back and was a little wasteful on the ball.

Levi Colwill - 6/10

Similar to his partner in central defence, he was solid on the ball, making six passes into the final third and finishing with a pass completion rate of 95 percent (106/111). However, it is the work off the ball that needs improvement.

Marc Cucurella - 5.5/10

Cucurella did not inspire too much confidence either and offered nothing going forward.

Moises Caicedo - 6/10

The Ecuadorian was deployed all around the park as Maresca switched tactics in search of the winner. He had a decent outing, finishing with 11 passes into the final third, three interceptions and two clearances.

Enzo Fernandez - 5/10

It was not a particularly memorable outing for Fernandez who seemed to lack any urgency on the ball. He had a few moments of real quality but could have done much better when Chelsea needed him to unlock the Palace defence.

Cole Palmer - 6.5/10

Once again the heart of the Blues' attack, Palmer notched yet another assist for the campaign, taking his tally to four. However, he grew frustrated in the first half and began to drop deep into his own half to receive and carry the ball in the hopes of creating something.

Noni Madueke - 5.5/10

Madueke was a shadow of himself from last week as he rarely showed his dribbling and directness. He was taken off and replaced by Nkunku late on.

Nicolas Jackson - 6.5/10

Jackson bagged his second of the season with a simple tap-in but continues to frustrate Chelsea fans with his inconsistent finishing. He had a golden chance to seal the win late on but could not beat Dean Henderson one-on-one.

Pedro Neto - 5.5/10

The natural right winger was deployed on the left of Chelsea's attack and had a difficult time, barely impacting the game before being taken off for Felix.

Substitutes

Joao Felix - 6.5/10

Felix was more lively than his counterpart Neto as he flashed off some great close control and link-up play, looking threatening at moments.

Mykhailo Mudryk - 6.5/10

He had a decent cameo as Maresca threw him on for Gusto, looking a threat down the left.

Christopher Nkunku - N/A

He came on too late and did not play enough minutes to merit a rating.