…Benteke score against Chelsea, his first at Selhurst Park since April 2018
Chelsea further fortified their place in the Premier League’s top four with victory over Crystal Palace on Tuesday night in an entertaining game at Selhurst Park.
It was the Blues that took the lead in 6 minutes with Palace defender Gary Cahill dragging with a match-ending injury to give Willian a run into the box unobstructed and set up Olivier Giroud to finish.
Giroud’s goal changed the match to an exhilarating, competitive one with both teams dazzling with the ball, but with domineering Chelsea looking great to put the game beyond the home side, through Christian Pulisic’s rising shot to make it 2-0 in 27 minutes.
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However, Palace responded in 34 minutes with a goal before the half-time as Wilfried Zaha’s gave a superb strike into the net via the crossbar from an unlikely distance to make the score sheet 1-2.
It was Chelsea that dealt another blow in second half with Tammy Abraham’s neat finish with 19 minutes to go to put the Blues 3-1 up.
But Christian Benteke would be reckoned with as he tapped in from point-blank range following a neat move, a minute after Abraham’s goal.
Palace almost came through to rescue a point when Scott Dann’s back-post header struck the inside of the post before Chelsea cut the ball clear.
Chelsea’s win translates they move above Leicester into third place in the table, five points ahead of fifth-placed Manchester United.
