Chelsea dropped points right away in the opening round of the new Premier League season. The Club World Cup champions were held to a draw against FA Cup winners Crystal Palace. Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, cruised to an easy win over Brentford.
Chelsea’s Premier League campaign began at Stamford Bridge with high hopes and a sense of optimism following a strong preseason and the recent triumph at the Club World Cup, but the evening ended in frustration as Mauricio Pochettino’s side were forced to settle for a goalless draw against FA Cup holders Crystal Palace.
Despite dictating the tempo, enjoying almost seventy percent possession, and spending much of the game in Palace’s half, Chelsea once again failed to turn control into goals. The story of the match was a familiar one for the Blues: neat passing, frequent pressure in wide areas, and plenty of shots from distance, but very little in the way of clear-cut chances.
Early on, it looked as though the night might take an even worse turn for the home supporters when Palace’s Eberechi Eze bent a free kick into the back of the net inside the first quarter of an hour. For a brief moment, the traveling fans celebrated what seemed to be a shock lead, but VAR intervened. Replays showed that Marc Guéhi had shoved Moisés Caicedo and positioned himself illegally within a meter of the defensive wall, an infringement under the current laws, and the goal was ruled out. The incident served as a reminder of how small details can swing a game and gave Chelsea an early reprieve. Palace, however, were encouraged by their ability to unsettle the hosts and gradually settled into a defensive rhythm.
Chelsea lined up with Marc Cucurella at left-back, preferred to youngster Jorrel Hato, while Trevoh Chalobah partnered Josh Acheampong in central defense after Levi Colwill’s long-term injury. Their job was largely one of concentration, as Palace looked to spring quick counterattacks through Michael Olise and Odsonne Édouard, but for the most part the pair were solid. Further up the pitch, Enzo Fernández and Conor Gallagher worked hard to dictate the midfield, with Fernández pushing higher in the second half in search of a breakthrough. Yet despite the possession and territorial dominance, Chelsea’s attacking line remained toothless. Raheem Sterling drifted wide without ever finding the decisive pass, Mykhailo Mudryk showed flashes of pace but little end product, and Nicolas Jackson cut a frustrated figure as the lone striker, often left chasing scraps.
Dean Henderson, making his competitive debut for Crystal Palace after being chosen ahead of Walter Benítez, dealt with the efforts that did come his way but was never stretched. The majority of Chelsea’s attempts were speculative or comfortably blocked by a compact Palace defense that executed Roy Hodgson’s game plan to perfection. Palace were disciplined, patient, and determined not to be drawn out of shape, and their players celebrated the final whistle as if it were a victory. Chelsea, by contrast, left the pitch with heads bowed, knowing that this was a missed opportunity to begin the season on the front foot. For Pochettino, the challenge will be to turn possession into penetration and ensure that such results do not become a trend. For Palace, the night represented a valuable point earned at one of the most difficult away grounds in the league.
While Chelsea endured frustration in London, Nottingham Forest produced a statement performance in their opener at the City Ground, brushing aside Brentford with a commanding 3–1 victory. The game was effectively won in the first half, when Forest tore into their visitors with energy, precision, and ruthless finishing. Brentford’s starting lineup featured two Dutchmen, with summer signing Antoni Milambo making his debut after arriving from Feyenoord and Sepp van den Berg starting in defense. Veteran midfielder Jordan Henderson was named on the bench and entered with twenty minutes to go, but by then the damage was already done.
Chris Wood, the experienced New Zealand striker, opened the scoring after just five minutes when Brentford failed to clear a corner and the ball fell kindly for him to fire into the net. Forest smelled blood and continued to push forward, and shortly before the interval Morgan Gibbs-White delivered a superb cross for Dan Ndoye, who powered a header home to double the advantage. Moments later, Brentford’s night went from bad to worse when Van den Berg misplayed a pass in his own half, gifting Wood a clear path to goal. The striker showed composure, slotting in his second of the night to make it 3–0 before the break and effectively killing the contest.
Brentford did manage a response in the second half, with Ibrahim Sangaré conceding a penalty for handball and Igor Thiago converting from the spot to reduce the deficit to 3–1. Yet the goal was little more than consolation, as Forest managed the game comfortably from there, controlling possession and ensuring there was no route back for the visitors. For the home supporters, it was a performance full of promise, with Gibbs-White pulling the strings, Ndoye impressing on the wing, and Wood proving as reliable as ever in front of goal. For Brentford, however, the match was one to forget. Their defending in the first half was disorganized, Van den Berg endured a nightmare evening capped by his costly mistake, and Milambo struggled to influence proceedings on his debut. Thomas Frank now faces the task of steadying his side and restoring belief after such a poor opening.
The contrast between the two matches could not have been starker. Chelsea, despite their resources and dominance, were left searching for answers after a 0–0 draw that highlighted ongoing issues in attack. Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, sent an early message that they may be ready to push beyond mid-table this season with a performance of pace, aggression, and clinical edge. The season is long, but opening weekends often set the tone, and both Stamford Bridge and the City Ground provided plenty of talking points for what lies ahead.
