Noni Madueke’s 89th-minute penalty secured Chelsea a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace in their final home match of 2023 at Stamford Bridge. The Blues had taken the lead early through Mykhailo Mudryk, but Michael Olise equalized just before halftime.
Chelsea started the game brightly and created several chances, with Ian Maatsen and Christopher Nkunku both coming close. The Blues’ pressure eventually paid off in the 16th minute when Malo Gusto found Mudryk in the penalty area, and the Ukrainian winger made no mistake with a low finish.
Palace responded well to going behind and had a few chances of their own. However, it was Chelsea who looked more likely to score again, with Nkunku and Jackson both going close.
Just before halftime, Palace leveled the scores through Olise, who controlled a cross from Jordan Ayew and fired past Djordje Petrovic.
The second half was a more even affair, with both teams having chances to win the game. Palace came close through Jean-Philippe Mateta, but Petrovic made a good save. Chelsea also had chances, with Jackson and Broja both going close.
In the end, it was Chelsea who found the winner. Madueke was brought down in the penalty area by Eberechi Eze, and after a VAR review, the winger stepped up to convert the spot-kick.
The victory was Chelsea’s first in four Premier League games and moved them up to eighth in the table. Palace, meanwhile, remained in 12th place.