Chelsea return to Premier League action with a potential banana-skin fixture against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The Eagles are still without a win in the Premier League this season and sit rock bottom of the table without a goal to their name.
The Blues come into the game off the back of the international break. Manchester City dealt Chelsea a blow prior to the break with a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge.
Ahead of the game, we’ve picked out some key battles that may decide where the game is won and lost.
Michy Batshuayi vs Mamadou Sakho
It looks as if Michy Batshuayi will get his chance in the Chelsea XI when they travel to Selhurst Park.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but it appears that Antonio Conte made a mistake by not bringing him on against City to replace the injured Alvaro Morata.
While he may not be fulfilling his potential yet, Chelsea’s attack struggled without a focal point.
Batshuayi is likely to come up against Mamadou Sakho, a tough-tackling, no-nonsense central defender on Saturday, far from the easiest of tasks.
Tiemoue Bakayoko vs Luka Milivojevic
Another player who will have to step up the mark for the Premier League champions is summer signing Tiemoue Bakayoko.
The French midfielder has been excellent since joining from Monaco, but against Palace, he will not have N’Golo Kante by his side. Bakayoko will have to fill the void left by the former Leicester City man if Chelsea want to control the midfield on Saturday.
Marcos Alonso vs Wilfried Zaha
Wilfried Zaha is set to return to the Palace squad against Chelsea and Marcos Alonso could be the man tasked with marking him.
Palace will be desperate to break their duck this season and Zaha is one of their most potent attacking threats. The Ivorian international adds another dynamic to their forward line, bringing speed and unpredictability.
It’ll be something of a different test for Alonso, but containing Zaha will undoubtedly limit the chances available to Palace.
Pedro vs Patrick van Aanholt
Another attacking threat that Palace boast is former Chelsea defender Patrick van Aanholt, who can be a constant menace with overlapping runs.
It’ll be Pedro’s job, if he starts on the right of the front three, to limit the number of chances he has to get forward. By taking up specific positions on the pitch, the former Barcelona man can be a nightmare for defenders to mark.
Despite being the home side, Palace will not want to overcommit against the champions.
