Crystal Palace welcome Chelsea to Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon, January 25, 2026, with the visitors seeking to maintain their unbeaten run in this fixture. Palace sit 13th on 21 points after a dismal seven-game winless streak, while Chelsea occupy 6th place with 34 points from 22 matches. The Blues arrive as narrow favorites at evens, and both managers face mounting pressure to deliver results as the season reaches its midpoint.
Oliver Glasner's Palace remain mired in poor form following Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Sunderland, extending their winless streak to double figures across all competitions. The Eagles have managed just two draws and three losses throughout January, scoring only twice in five league outings. Yeremy Pino remains their most dangerous outlet, but Palace desperately lack cutting edge in the final third. Daniel Muñoz and Ismaïla Sarr have returned from injury and international duty respectively, providing Glasner with much-needed reinforcements. Jean-Philippe Mateta is expected to lead the line despite recent transfer speculation.
Chelsea bounced back from a disappointing Carabao Cup exit to Arsenal with a 2-0 victory over Brentford on January 17 and a 1-0 Champions League win against Pafos on Wednesday. Liam Rosenior's side have shown resilience under their new manager despite an inconsistent January that includes defeats to Arsenal and Fulham. Cole Palmer trained Friday after missing recent action with thigh tightness, and his availability could prove decisive. Moises Caicedo scored the winner midweek and continues to anchor the midfield, while Filip Jorgensen remains sidelined after picking up an injury against Pafos.
Glasner acknowledged his frustration with the club's decision to sell captain Marc Guehi to Manchester City but reaffirmed his commitment after clearing the air with chairman Steve Parish in what he described as a "thunderstorm meeting." Rosenior has emphasized the importance of winning every game, telling journalists that "pressure is a privilege" and insisting his focus remains on making fans happy through results. The Chelsea boss reiterated that any January signings must be "the right player" as he assesses his squad.
Chelsea have not lost to Crystal Palace since October 2017, extending their unbeaten run to 16 Premier League matches with 13 wins and three draws. The last three meetings have all ended level, including a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge in August 2025 and a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park in January 2025. Palace last tasted victory when they won 2-1 on home soil, but their current form suggests breaking that drought remains unlikely.
My model backs Chelsea to win at 1/1 odds with a 50.40% win probability and predicts a 2-1 correct score. The xG projection shows Palace at 1.27 and Chelsea at 1.87, reflecting the visitors' superior attacking threat. Palace have scored just once in their last four league games, underlining their struggles in front of goal. The gap in expected goals suggests Chelsea should have enough quality to edge this contest despite their own inconsistencies.
