VAR controversy mars Chelsea's goalless Palace draw

Eberechi Eze celebrates his disallowed free-kick goal during Chelsea's goalless draw with Crystal Palace (Illustrative image) (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) Getty Images

Chelsea made an underwhelming start to the Premier League season with a goalless draw against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. The Blues showed signs of mental fatigue after playing just 35 days following their Club World Cup final victory over Paris St Germain in the United States.

Oliver Glasner's Crystal Palace coped easily with Chelsea's disjointed new-look attack. Nicolas Jackson was not in Enzo Maresca's squad after being made surplus to requirements, with Newcastle considering a bid for the striker.

VAR controversy mars season opener

The match's major talking point came when Eberechi Eze's brilliant first-half free-kick was ruled out following a VAR review. Marc Guehi was judged to have obstructed Chelsea's wall by forcing Moises Caicedo out of the ball's path, drawing a furious response from Palace supporters.

Eze started for Palace despite ongoing transfer speculation. The England international received a standing ovation when substituted late on, dispelling any doubts about supporter sentiment towards the player whose goal won them the FA Cup in May.

Chelsea struggle for creativity

Chelsea managed only two clear chances in a first-half display lacking creativity. Marc Cucurella's near-post header looped towards the far corner where it was nodded off the line by the leaping Ismaila Sarr.

Moments after the disallowed goal, Jean-Philippe Mateta broke into the box but shot too close to Robert Sanchez, who bounced the effort to safety. The best Chelsea chance of the half fell to Trevoh Chalobah, who fired high from eight yards after good work from debutant Jamie Gittens.

Breakthrough performance in defence

Josh Acheampong made his third Premier League start in central defence due to Levi Colwill's long-term absence and Wesley Fofana not being risked. The 19-year-old academy graduate delivered a mature display that won over the subdued Stamford Bridge crowd.

His wonderfully-timed, full-blooded tackle on Daniel Munoz drew raucous appreciation from home supporters. With Maresca having been told to seek internal solutions to his defensive options, the academy graduate staked a convincing claim for regular game time.

Late spark from debutant

Estevao Willian was introduced in the 53rd minute for his competitive debut. The 18-year-old Brazil international immediately beat Guehi in a foot race down the right before crossing brilliantly for Enzo Fernandez, who failed to make proper contact.

The young winger betrayed his inexperience minutes later, striking wildly over the bar when off balance before being booked for lunging at Munoz. Eze nearly provided another headline moment with a second-half effort that forced a two-handed save from Sanchez, while substitute Liam Delap shot straight at Dean Henderson at the other end.

Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.