Crystal Palace 0 Chelsea 1: Blues equal 11-game win record, but lose Diego Costa and N’Golo Kante for Boxing Day clash

CHELSEA equalled their record 11th straight Premier League win against Crystal Palace, but were left with a bitter taste in their mouth as Diego Costa and N'Golo Kante were ruled out of their Boxing Day clash through suspension.

Costa was the man to get the game truly underway, nodding home his 13th goal of the season from a pinpoint Cesar Azpilicueta cross on the stroke of half-time.

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The Spaniard had only minutes earlier picked up his fifth booking of the season, meaning he misses the Boxing Day clash with Bournemouth.

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As if that wasn't bad enough, early in the second-half, another key cog - Kante - succumbed to the same fate, being carded and missing the game on the south coast next Monday.

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STATS, FACTS, GOALS & LOLS

• ANTONIO CONTE is really utilising his squad. Out went midweek matchwinner Cesc Fabregas and back came Eden Hazard.
• DAMIEN DELANEY left a late one on Thibaut Courtois and sent him flying in the second half. But the Chelsea keeper was up straight away.
• CHELSEA was ruthlessly efficient in the first half. Diego Costa’s goal was their first shot on target.

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• COSTA will have his feet up on Boxing Day though. His yellow card for a foul on Joe Ledley was his fifth of the season, earning a ban.
• JON MOSS is hardly a crowd favourite at Selhurst Park. No big errors from the ref but home fans thought the marginal calls went against them.
• CONTE would usually be with his family on a winter break in Italy but this will be his first big test of the Christmas fixtures – and could define the title race.
• WILLIAN started two games in a week for the first time this season and looks ahead of Pedro in the pecking order again.

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• DAVID LUIZ in the middle of a back three is his perfect position as it allows him to mop up loose balls and show his passing range.
• ALAN PARDEW is now in the top ten managers in terms of Premier League matches, overtaking Joe Kinnear with 302.
• N'GOLO KANTE will also be missing on Boxing Day for Conte after picking up his fifth booking.

BIG PICTURE

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DREAM TEAM RATINGS

CRYSTAL PALACE: Hennessey 7, Ward 6, Dann 6, Delaney 6 (Fryers 84, 5), Kelly 6, Cabaye 6 (Campbell 79, 6), McArthur 6, Ledley 6, Zaha 6, Puncheon 6 (Townsend 77, 6), Benteke 6.

Subs not used: Speroni, Husin, Mutch, Lee.

Booked: Ward, Delaney.

CHELSEA: Courtois 7, Azpilicueta 7, Luiz 7, Cahill 7, Moses 7 (Ivanovic 79, 6), Kante 7, Matic, Alonso 7, Willian 6 (Fabregas 64, 6), Hazard 8, Costa 7 (Batshuayi 89, 5).

Subs not used: Begovic, Zouma, Chalobah, Pedro.

Goals: Costa (43).

Booked: Costa, Kante.

STAR MAN: EDEN HAZARD (Chelsea)

SOCIAL SAYS

WHAT THEY SAID

Chelsea defender Gary Cahill: "It has been the same way for us the last two games and was an important win today.

"We feel very confident. Physically, we are in good shape and fantastic players are in top form. We are organised and enjoying it."

Crystal Palace defender Scott Dann: "The positives are for everyone to see. We came up against a top team, top of the league and we deserved to get something out of the game. We showed togetherness and commitment and if we continue that, we will start picking up points.

"We more than matches them for the majority of the game but they showed their quality for the goal.

"We have come up against two top teams this week and shown resilience. Hopefully, we will turn a corner."