Whatever else is said about those who follow Chelsea, a sense of humour is at least surviving through these tricky times.
And so they had themselves a little sing when it finally went right for a change, which is to say Kai Havertz got a header on target and with it that rarest of things – a win under Graham Potter.
‘We are staying up,’ was the message, and perhaps that was an overstatement of their difficulties, but it has just been that kind of season. That kind of tenure. That kind of period where if you don’t laugh you might incite a riot or run a good manager out of town.
Kai Havertz’s header midway through the second half proved the difference as Chelsea recorded a much-needed victory
Prior to the game Stamford Bridge had proven an emotional setting as the club paid tribute to the late Gianluca Vialli
Of course, with Chelsea and their issues of injury and form, it is premature to say with any certainty if this will be a belated start of the new chapter, or merely a solitary sheet of paper for their many cracks.
That they won for only the second time in nine games in all competitions ought to be kept in the context of Crystal Palace’s own limitations of late, not to mention a recognition that it was only possible because Kepa Arrizabalaga made excellent saves from rocketed volleys in each half.
But a victory is a victory and the only known way of stopping the sort of discord that has spread with growing volume across recent games. With a forthcoming fixture against the fading force of Liverpool followed by Fulham and West Ham, the necessity is that it becomes part of a sustained move and not an outlier against recent trends, though a raised mood will only help.
The German celebrated wildly as the Stamford Bridge crowd urged their team on after a difficult few weeks for the club
Graham Potter appeared relieved as his players alleviated some of the pressure on his shoulders with the victory on Sunday
That was assisted in part by the unveiling at half-time of Mykhailo Mudryk on a contract the length of some mortgages. The reception he received as he entered the pitch draped in a Ukrainian flag felt as much a celebration of the cavalry arriving as it did joy at the irritation it will cause Arsenal, though it will also be noted Chelsea have never lacked for new signings.
The question, as ever, is if they will justify their cost, which in Mudryk’s case was in excess of £62million. The need for an early impact and repayment from the forward is quite urgent, as highlighted by a match in which Chelsea had the vast majority of possession but managed only five shots on goal, one being the goal midway through the second half.
On other days such a wait, such a reminder of the dearth of creativity, might have tipped the fans over the edge, but it is possible that any antipathy here was quelled by the solemn nature of how the afternoon began, with touching and well co-ordinated tributes to Gianluca Vialli, led in the centre circle by a variety of his former team-mates from John Terry to Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink. There were also huge, colourful banners in the stands, which offset the grey nature of what has been unfolding on the pitch.
Myhailo Mudryk – the club’s latest signing – was paraded around Stamford Bridge at half-time having arrived in London to complete his move
The first half was a cagey affair with neither side having that many clear cut opportunities and the defences cancelling each other out
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was introduced by Graham Potter and immediately gave Chelsea a renewed impetus for the remainder of the
In that regard, Chelsea’s opening wasn’t the worst they have made under Potter, but it did touch on how flat and disjointed it has so often appeared.
For this one, he made five changes, which in light of the squad’s ailments – 11 in the treatment room at last count – would indicate just how far he is from a settled plan. Of those alterations, there was a debut for Benoit Badiashile, while Jorginho, Conor Gallagher, Carney Chukwuemeka and Hakim Ziyech also returned. Out went Kalidou Koulibaly, Cesar Azpilicueta and Mateo Kovacic, with Joao Felix suspended and Denis Zakaria recovering from a thigh issue.
The upshot of such dramatic surgery was a number of defensive holes that allowed Palace to get in behind. Wilfried Zaha particularly seemed to fancy his chances against Badishile, though their chances across a dull first half were predominantly contained to one sweet volley from Michael Olise and a Jeffrey Schlup header, both well saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga.
In limited credit to Chelsea, they did increase their tempo between scares and created a good headed chance for Kai Havertz, which he wasted, and another when the same man was a fraction short of reaching a pull back by Conor Gallagher. With the loose ball zipping across goal, Lewis Hall was a touch off target in blasting back in the opposite direction.
Thiago Silva led a young back four expertly as he marshalled his fellow defenders to keep out Crystal Palace’s dangermen
If there was a highlight to the period, it was Vicente Guaita’s late save in nudging over a drive from Hakim Ziyech – an injection of quality to a field of grey.
The second half was brighter at least, illuminated by Chelsea’s breakthrough 20 minutes after the restart when Ziyech exchanged passes with Gallagher from a short corner and whipped to Havertz. The forward was helped by Schlupp and Cheick Oumar Doucoure impeding one another’s leaps, but the header was excellent.
His next attempt from a Mason Mount cross was not nearly so good, both for his placement in front of a largely open goal and the botched opportunity to wrap up the game, and the cost was almost underlined moments later when Doucoure thundered a volley on a course for the top corner. Kepa somehow kept it out in what might be optimistically wished as a turning point for his manager.
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