Chelsea's title challenge has run aground south of the river. A game that was supposed to be awkward rather than terminal ended up exposing this side's inconsistencies, José Mourinho watching in disbelief as his charges' qualities were nullified and eclipsed by Crystal Palace's sheer refusal to wilt. The team involved in a relegation fight had managed a solitary point from 14 games against the elite's top nine prior to this derby. This victory left them just as astonished as it did the weekend's initial leaders.
When Fernando Torres chipped over a gaping net right as stoppage time approached after Stuart O'Keefe's error, Selhurst Park breathed again. Not since 1990 had Palace overcome these opponents in a league fixture, Ian Wright lobbing the winner that night; a goal from another era. Here the decisive scorer was actually one of Chelsea's own, John Terry's inadvertent flick early in the second half proving decisive with the nervous tension overcoming all before the end. Mourinho lectured a ball boy for time-wasting, visiting players increasingly flustered out on the turf. In truth, the deserved little from the contest, with their lead at the top of the table suddenly precarious.
via Chelsea | The Guardian http://ift.tt/1dEbKlA
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