Is the title race BACK ON? Chelsea fall to shock defeat against defiant Palace as Zaha and Benteke put Conte's men to the sword

The title jitters got to Chelsea at last in the spring sunshine at Stamford Bridge. Anointed champions for the last few weeks, they had started to seem immune to nerves but just when it seemed no one could stop them being champions, they faltered.
They fell to defeat to a Crystal Palace side led quite brilliantly by Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke, who scored a goal each in Chelsea’s shock 2-1 defeat. It was Chelsea’s first reverse since they lost to Spurs at the start of January and it has given their pursuers a hint of hope.

Zaha, in particular, was quite brilliant. A couple of weeks after his passion was questioned by England manager Gareth Southgate, this was a performance of sustained and bloody-minded excellence. Chelsea’s defenders have not looked this uncomfortable all season.

Chelsea are still overwhelming favourites for the league but their lead over Spurs is only seven points now and suddenly their match against Manchester City in west London on Wednesday night feels like a clash of great significance. Win it and the league is probably theirs. Lose and all bets are off.

Palace did the rest of the league of a favour here. Excitement had drained out of the title race as Chelsea marched unerringly towards it and attention switched to the battle to finish in the top four. Now things are a lot more interesting.

It was a huge result for Palace, too, especially after Hull beat West Ham. This victory keeps Palace four points clear of the relegation zone and drags Burnley and West Ham into the battle at the bottom of the table. The Palace players celebrated wildly with their fans at the end and this result is bound to give them momentum going forwards.

Chelsea had started the day 10 points clear at the top with 10 games to go. Their lead looked impregnable. They have led the league as serenely as it possible to do in English football and they appeared to have ended what little uncertainty there might be about the result within the first five minutes. Cesc Fabregas hit a superb raking ball over the top of the Palace defence for Hazard who took the ball to the byline and found Joel Ward isolated in front of him. Hazard dribbled the ball around Ward and crossed to the near post. Fabregas had hurtled into the box after delivering his initial pass and clipped the ball past Wayne Hennessey and in off the post.

But Palace struck back quickly. Benteke held the ball up with his back to goal and laid it off to Wilfried Zaha on the edge of the Chelsea area. Zaha was surrounded by Chelsea defenders but somehow he found space and squeezed a shot through the crowd. Courtois saw it late and it flew past his outstretched right hand.

A minute later, Palace stunned the Bridge by taking the lead. Benteke led a swift Palace counter attack and ran at the Chelsea defence. When he was tackled, the ball broke to Zaha, who played it straight back to Benteke. Courtois dived at his feet but Benteke delayed cleverly and lifted the ball gently over the goalkeeper and into the net.

The chances kept coming. Midway through the half, Hennessey saved smartly from Costa’s close-range shot, blocking it with his body when the effort wrong-footed him as he scrambled across his goal. Chelsea made a flurry of chances before half time but Hennessey beat away shots from Hazard and Matic to preserve Palace’s lead. 

Chelsea were laying siege to the Palace goal by now and Hennessey dived at full length to deflect a driven cross from Hazard away from danger and then saw a fierce shot from Azpilicueta fly over the crossbar. When Chelsea tried to pass their way into the Palace box, there was no way past the yellow wall.

In the second half, the same pattern continued. Chelsea camped in the Palace half and Palace defended for their lives. Ten minutes into the half, it seemed Conte’s side would equalise when a deep cross from Pedro found Costa in space at the back post ten yards out.

But it was typical of Palace’s commitment that when Costa chested the ball down, Scott Dann, a half time substitute for James Tomkins, should throw himself into the block with such abandon that he was injured by Costa’s follow through and carried off on a stretcher. Palace were still capable of hurting Chelsea on the break though and might have gone further ahead on the hour. Zaha was the danger man once again, outstripping Azpilicueta and arrowing his shot towards the corner of the goal. Zaha thought he had scored but Courtois stuck out his left boot and deflected the ball wide.

Chelsea missed another golden chance to equalise 15 minutes from time when Hazard twisted and turned his marker out of shape on the byline and curled a cross into the box. Costa rose to meet it six yards out but could only head it wide. The crowd groaned and Conte, not for the first time in the game, turned away and put his hands on his head.

Now the Chelsea siege got serious. Palace defended with everything they had. Their box was like a game of pinball. Sakho made two last-ditch clearances, crosses flew across the face of goal, begging for the touch that would bring the equaliser. Hennessey saved at his near post. And still Palace clung on.