Chelsea issue title message they didn't want to send in controversial draw - 5 talking points

Chelsea got their season off to a sluggish start as Crystal Palace held the Blues to a draw at Stamford Bridge. The Eagles have got their campaign underway in a positive fashion by earning a point against potential title contenders, just a week after beating Liverpool in the Community Shield.

And the Eagles may feel they could have earned more in west London. Eberechi Eze's rocket free-kick looked to have provided Palace with an early lead befor VAR's intervention.

In shifting Moises Caicedo out of the way, Marc Guehi was judged to have moved too close to Chelsea's wall. After watching a replay Darren England took action and the scores remained goalless.

Eze still played a starring role, despite the possiblity it was his last outing for Palace, as Oliver Glasner's side defended well against the Club World Cup champions while still offering some threat of their own. Enzo Maresca's team looked strong but lacked some polish as they struggled to convert possession into meaningful opportunities.

They found one in stoppage time but substitute Andrey Santos could not keep his composure when afforded time in the Palace box. The Brazilian blazed the ball over the bar as the side's could not be separated.

Mirror Football takes a look at the talking points to arise from the match.

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Eberechi Eze

The attacker was the talk of the afternoon even before kick-off. The were rumours the Palace star could miss the game ahead of a move to Tottenham, but the Eagles opted to utilise one of their most talented stars.

And the England international showed exactly why he is sought-after. Eze time and again forced Reece James into difficult situations and while it was disallowed, the Crystal Palace ace showed his quality from a dead ball.

There's little doubt Eze has Champions League quality, and at 27 he is probably at the peak of his powers while finding his final opportunities of being able to achieve a move to the top. Whether Spurs represents that for some is more questionable, but Eze showed a professionalism and quality that isn't always present in the top flight in his outing against Chelsea.

Probably the best player on the pitch.

VAR doing its job

In ruling out Eberechi Eze's free kick, VAR once again did its job — highlighting the laws football fans don't know about and don't like. As everyone started to lament that cancelling Eze's effort for Marc Guehi's physicality with Moises Caicedo was soft, a greater frustration emerged.

Instead it was Guehi's proximity to Chelsea's wall that was problematic. There was little appeal or complaint on the pitch after the ball hit the net, but a few more from the stands and beyond as they came to understand why a free kick was awarded.

"There are times when you ask in football where you ask if something is right or wrong," said Chris Sutton on Sky Sports. "And that just seems mightily, mightily harsh."

It's hard to disagree, and it feels like the application of this law may not have been the most consistent in recent years given the sheer surprise at its existence from so many.

Do Chelsea need a defender?

With Levi Colwill already set to miss the bulk of the season after undergoing ACL surgery, Enzo Maresca made it pretty clear he wanted a new defender despite noting the club would rely on internal solutions. For the opening day, that was expected to be Tosin Adarabioyo.

The former Fulham man picked up an injury to leave Trevoh Chalobah in need for a new partner however. That offered 19-year-old star Josh Acheampong his chance in the centre of defence.

"I am very confident he is ready," Maresca said. "We played already some games in the last season in the Premier League with Josh, so we think that he is ready. For sure he is a talented footballer and can help this club in the future."

The player on show on Sunday certainly looked ready too deliver. Much of his experience has come as a full-back but Acheampong looked at home even with the difficult prospect of facing Jean Philippe Mateta.

The teenager's outing will have done little to sway Chelsea's sporting directors that they need to align with Maresca on this issue.

Estevao Willian's Premier League debut

The 18-year-old Brazilian has finally arrived at Stamford Bridge after a deal was agreed more than a year ago. The winger is one of South America's most talked about talents and Chelsea paid out out an initial £29million fee to get a deal over the line.

The introduction of the former Palmeiras star immediately of forced Palace backwards and advanced Chelsea into their territory. Estevao's direct running showed the fearlessness you'd expect.

The youngster picked up his first Premier League yellow card when he came dashing back to prevent a Crystal Palace counter-attack but the recklessness is maybe outweighed by his enthusiasm.

There's so much talent there, getting the balance correct between nuturing it and unleashing it is going to be difficult. Estevao looks ready to make an impact however.

Chelsea's title credentials?

Chelsea's Club World Cup winin the summer certainly will have added some weight to the club's ambitions and how they are seen by the outside world. The west London side have even been tipped to take the title by some.

While there were elements to prompt excitement on Sunday, there was enough to temper expectation too — though the side's truncated pre-season must be remembered too.

Despite plenty of possession, there weren't too many clear-cut chances for much of the match. Chelsea replenished their forward line in the summer with Joao Pedro and Liam Delap but the former failed to make a lasting impression after starting the match.

It is the area Chelsea will hope to improve if they are to be among the team's challenging come the end of the season. But their opponent's should not be overlooked.

Oliver Glasner has made complaints about the side's transfer inactivity but they remain a strong outfit with a talented spine. They will be no pushovers this season.

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