London, August 17 — Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw by Crystal Palace in their opening Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge, with the hosts failing to capitalize on long spells of possession and dominance.
Chelsea controlled over 70 percent of the ball but struggled to create clear scoring chances, managing only three shots on target from 19 attempts. New signings João Pedro and Jamie Gittens featured in attack, while 17-year-old Josh Acheampong started in defense due to injury absences. Despite the fresh line-up, the Blues lacked cohesion in the final third.
Crystal Palace nearly took the lead early in the match when Eberechi Eze struck from a free-kick in the 13th minute. However, the effort was disallowed following a VAR check, which found Palace captain Marc Guéhi positioned too close to Chelsea’s defensive wall. The decision led to an indirect free-kick for Chelsea, marking one of the match’s key turning points.
The game also saw the introduction of a new Premier League measure, where referee Darren England explained his VAR decision live to the stadium crowd. It was the first instance of fans being able to hear in-game officiating announcements, a move welcomed as a step towards greater transparency.
Chelsea’s inability to break down Palace’s disciplined defense will raise early questions about their attacking sharpness this season. Meanwhile, Palace will be encouraged by their organized performance, having frustrated the hosts and secured a valuable point away from home.
Sunrisers Hyderabad endured a tough outing as they suffered an 82-run defeat to Gujarat Titans, while skipper Pat Cummins was fined ₹12 lakh for a slow over-rate offence, compounding the team’s misery.
May 12, 2025, when India bid farewell to one of its biggest Test cricketers as Virat Kohli announced his retirement from the longest format. One year later, fans still miss his passion and presence in whites.
Axar Patel and David Miller turned out to be champions for Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala and kept their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive with a sensational win against Punjab Kings.
The IPL 2026 match between the RCB and the Mumbai Indians proved to be most thrilling match of the season.
Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and many other big names are likely to miss Australia series against Pakistan, prioritizing IPL 2026 playoffs.
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Virat Kohli has played 34 innings against MI and averages 32.40 against them with a strike rate of 128.
The IPL 2026 playoff race is heating up as the Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants prepare for a crucial clash in Chennai this Sunday. Both teams are desperate for a win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
with Shreyas Iyer emerging as the frontrunner for the role
The duo had earlier shared the dressing room while representing Lucknow Super Giants during the 2023 and 2024 IPL seasons
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Asked to bat, LSG posted 209/3, powered by Marsh’s blistering 111 off 56 balls, an innings studded with nine fours and nine sixes
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