Chelsea 3-0 Crystal Palace
by Amar Azam
 

Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea will have their title credentials come under scrutiny over the coming weeks when they travel, first to London rivals Arsenal, and then to Liverpool, in a pair of matches that will give an early indication of how they will fare this season.  
 
There is much anticipation over Chelsea, last Premier League champions in 2017, who possess a squad that is strong enough to mount a title challenge.
 
One could read little into this easy win over a lacklustre Crystal Palace side. In the end, it was a straightforward victory for Tuchel’s men. A fine free-kick from Marcos Alonso and a goal from Christian Pulisic put the home side firmly in control of this match before half-time.  
 
The story of the day, however, was Trevoh Chalobah scoring his first senior goal on his league debut. The 22-year-old defender has been at the club since the age of eight. There were tears too. It’s been a long journey for him.
 
Chalobah, who made a surprise debut in the Super Cup win over Villareal, was part of Tuchel’s preferred three-man back-line. They were rarely tested in this season opener, played out in brilliant sunshine in front of a returning full crowd at Stamford Bridge.
 
The defender took his opportunity well. With the visitors on the back foot, Chalobah strode forward after spotting a gap, firing a powerful low shot beyond goalkeeper Vincente Guaita. He sunk to his knees as his teammates ran to congratulate him.  
 
It was a well-taken effort from Chalobah, who looked confident and assured against the side from south London managed by Patrick Vieira.
 
Chalobah said: “It’s been an amazing week for me. I’ve watched a lot of games at Stamford Bridge, been a ball boy, watched Champions League nights with family.
 
“When I scored, I didn’t know what to do — I was crying, really. I’m happy for myself and for my family. I’ve had to work hard and stay patient. I need to keep doing that.”
 
Tuchel added: “It was well deserved, he’s been so solid in pre-season. He gave a big performance against Villarreal on Wednesday, and he was robust enough to then play another game in the Premier League.
 
“It is super nice and I truly believe that you can have the best and most famous players from abroad, but it’s also about young guys from the academy and to show them the way to make it in the Premier League — that is very important for us.”
 
On the evidence of this performance, former Arsenal midfielder Vieira could be in for an uncomfortable season. The match was two-thirds complete by the time that Chelsea’s goalkeeper Edouard Mendy was tested, from a headed effort from Jordan Ayew.  
 
It didn’t get much better for hapless Crystal Palace, who now welcome Brentford in their next match on Saturday.