CRYSTAL
Pulisic leads from front as
CHELSEA reaffirmed their Champions League credentials with a thumping win at Crystal Palace.
The Blues started like an express train with Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic putting them two up within 10 minutes.
And when Kurt Zouma headed them further ahead on the half hour, it wasn’t a case of whether they would win after last week’s disaster against West Brom but if they could put more than the seven past the Eagles which Liverpool managed.
They couldn’t, as it happened, Pulisic’s second of the game was their fourth and final of the afternoon.
But the fact Chelsea moved back above Jurgen Klopp’s resurgent Reds after they had temporarily moved ahead of them after their win against Aston Villa was plenty of consolation.
Liverpool had thrown down a real marker with their win earlier in the day but Thomas Tuchel’s side picked it up and chucked it forward again to further fuel what is fast becoming a compelling race for a top-four finish.
For Palace, it wasn’t a good afternoon – a miserable first half, a better second, but still their 13th defeat of their season.
Although it’s just about a few quid more or less from the place pots for them now with relegation long since a concern.
For Chelsea this was just what they needed in the Premier League after getting back to winning ways against Porto in the Champions League on Wednesday.
They were quickly out of the blocks and could even have been five or six up at half-time but for a couple of decent stops from keeper Vicente Guaita and some last-ditch defending from Patrick van Aanholt. Pulisic had a great opening when Mason Mount put a chance on a plate for him with a delicious cross from the right but Guaita denied him from close range.
Seconds later Chelsea took the lead when Eberechi Eze was dispossessed.
Havertz popped the ball off and then took the ball back from Callum Hudson-Odoi before composing himself and tucking a lovely low finish into the Palace net on eight minutes.
Roy Hodgson’s men were further behind just a couple of minutes later with Havertz this time turning provider.
It was the first time the £72million German had registered a goal and assist in the same game since his arrival at the start of the season.
Ben Chilwell found him as an excellent move from Chelsea carved Palace open and Havertz in turn slipped in Pulisic, who smashed his finish into the roof Guaita’s net.
Havertz went close to a third after some wonderful skill – think Gazza against Scotland at Euro 96 – opened up a shooting chance but Guaita got down well to deny him.
It wasn’t long before Chelsea were three up, though, with Zouma climbing high above former teammate Gary Cahill to head home Mount’s free-kick.
Hodgson made a couple of changes just shy of the hour-mark when he sent on Jeffrey Schlupp and James McCarthy, and Schlupp made an immediate impact on 63 minutes.
His cross picked out Christian Benteke and the Belgian placed his header back across Edouard Mendy.
Palace were buoyed, briefly, but Pulisic bundled home with 12 minutes left to seal a comfortable win and get his side firmly back on track.
CRYSTAL PALACE: Guaita 7: Ward 5, Kouyate 5, Cahill
5, Van Aanholt 5; Ayew 4 (Townsend 76th), Milivojevic 5, Riedeweld 5 (McCarthy (59th) 6); Eze 5 (Schlupp (59th) 6), Benteke 6, Zaha 4
CHELSEA: Mendy 6; Azpilicueta 7, Zouma 8, Rudiger
7, Chilwell 7; Hudson-Odoi 7 (James 76th, 6), Jorginho
8 (Kante (61st) 7), Kovacic 8 (Ziyech 83rd, 6); Mount 8, Havertz 8, Pulisic 8
STAR MAN: Mason Mount
REF: M Oliver