CHELSEA have rarely had such a dreamlike spell this season.
And poor Jaydee Canvot can surely never have had a worse 65 minutes in his short career.
Chelsea ran riot with Estevao’s and Joao Pedro’s samba magic against Crystal PalaceCredit: Getty
Enzo Fernandez put the cherry on top with a third goal in the second halfCredit: Getty
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In the week Crystal Palace sold their captain Marc Guehi to Manchester City, the teenaged French centre back came into the back three to make only his third Premier League start.
And after Canvot conceded a penalty to complete a horrible hat-trick, one involvement for each Chelsea goal, boss Oliver Glasner put him out of his misery.
But the gloom around the South London club will deepen still further.
After a week in which the club seemed to be tearing itself apart, Palace were their own worst enemies.
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Canvot was not alone in having a nightmare for a home side that finished the game with 10 men.
Wantaway centre forward Jean-Phillippe Mateta missed a great early chance to put his team ahead but otherwise threatened little.
Palace’s defence as a whole could not cope with Chelsea winger Estevao, who scored the first and helped create the second.
And Adam Wharton blotted his own copybook with two yellow cards in relatively quick succession, before Chris Richards at least managed to pull one back.
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It was little consolation, however, to the unhappy home fans and none to Canvot.
First he played the back pass which Estevao seized upon to give the Blues the lead in sensational style.
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Then Canvot failed to step up and left Joao Pedro onside to collect Estevao’s return pass and score confidently.
Finally, he was penalised for handball after referee Darren England was called to the VAR monitor to watch footage of his arm blocking a Pedro shot.
Enzo Fernandez converted the penalty, the game was over and Canvot’s number was up, literally, to signal the substitution.
Maybe it would have been different if Mateta had taken his golden chance.
Chelsea ratings vs Crystal Palace
CHELSEA secured an impressive win at Crystal Palace in a huge boost to Liam Rosenior.
There had been questions over the manager’s ‘David Brent-style’ manor off the pitch before the match.
But after it, there was little doubt about what his side is delivering on it.
Estevao gave the Blues the lead in the first half before Joao Pedro breezed past Adam Wharton to add a second after the break.
The Blues were then awarded a controversial penalty which Enzo Fernandez dispatched before Chris Richards netted a late consolation for the Eagles.
Here’s how SunSport’s Lloyd Canfield rated the Blues stars after the crucial victory.
Palace’s top scorer wants out and there are plenty of clubs who seem to ready to rescue him.
But maybe they have not looked behind at the big man’s numbers this season – no-one in the Premier League has underperformed their Expected Goals more than he has.
Sometimes statistics do not lie.
Inside eight minutes Benoit Badiashile lost the ball to Ismaila Sarr who sent Mateta through on goal.
With much of the net to aim at, he hit a shot that Robert Sanchez saved with his right leg.
Between then and Estevao’s goal, Palace still played the better football. Only a last-ditch intervention by Andrey Santos stopped Brennan Johnson meeting a cross from fit-again Daniel Munoz.
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Fernandez scored Chelsea’s third from the spot after a controversial VAR decisionCredit: PA
The PGMOL had to explain their remarkable decision to give a handball against Jaydee CanvotCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Then the home side almost exploited Chelsea’s long-throw Achilles heel. Blues captain Reece James could only help on Richards’ delivery but Sarr could only send his effort wide.
The visitors were once more unconvincing as an attacking force.
Fernandez and Moises Caicedo should both have done better than fire off target when seizing on loose balls.
But the Blues’ main threat was James’ delivery from corners.
Until Palace and Canvot gave them some help.
The Frenchman, still up from a home attack, tried to play the ball back to Mitchell.
But instead it reached Estevao, who was already on the wrong side of the full back.
Off sprinted the Brazilian and Mitchell was not catching him. Nor was Dean Henderson stopping the fierce left-foot shot he unleashed.
The goal knocked the stuffing out of the home crowd and team, who did not learn their lesson.
When Richards’ cross was blocked, again Estevao picked up the ball in his own half and ran all the way to the penalty area.
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Adam Wharton was sent off in the second halfCredit: Reuters
But his right foot was not as deadly as his left, flashing the ball well wide of the far post.
It was not to prove costly, thanks to another misjudgement by Canvot less than five minutes into the second half.
Pedro received the ball, swept it to Estevao, went for the return and was played onside by Canvot.
But the Brazilian still had work to do. He did it superbly, turning inside Wharton as the Palace midfielder over-committed, and firing in at the near post.
Incredibly, Canvot’s afternoon soon got even worse.
New Palace captain Henderson flapped at a James cross and the ball fell to Pedro.
Canvot’s right arm blocked the shot and eventually referee England was called to the monitor.
After lengthy consideration, the official raised hopes by announcing the handball was accidental.
But under the current laws, all that meant was that Canvot received only a yellow card instead of a red. Chelsea were still given a penalty and Fernandez converted.
Poor Canvot was immediately substituted to spare him any more punishment
Palace were given no such mercy. Wharton, who had been recently shown one yellow card for a bad foul on Caicedo, stupidly received a second for another lunge on the Blues midfielder.
To their credit, the home team kept going.
Sanchez made a decent save at his near post from Maxence Lacroix. The Chelsea goalkeeper was soon making another stop, this time from Lerma, but was helpless as Richards followed up to score.
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Too little, too late, even with nine minutes of stoppage time.
Where Palace and Canvot go from here is anyone’s guess.
Chris Richards nodded in a consolationCredit: PA
