Chelsea open season with frustrating 0-0 draw

It felt like the first day of school after the summer holidays at the Bridge as Chelsea played out a goalless draw against Palace.

There were a few new boys in the class, and one or two absentees, as the Club World Cup champions took on the FA Cup winners in the baking sunshine.

Joao Pedro began up front (Liam Delap replaced him midway through the second half), while Jamie Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund as Jadon Sancho's replacement on the left wing, looked promising.

With Levi Colwill likely to miss months of action after knee surgery, 6ft 3in teenager Josh Acheampong made a bright start deputising in central defence. The clean sheet will have boosted his confidence.

But Chelsea really should have turned 70% possession into at least one goal, as chance after chance ended up in Row Z.

Crystal Palace did manage to get the ball in the net, via an Eberechi Eze rocket of a free kick after 13 minutes. But the away fans' delirium was snuffed out by a VAR review.

The Blues had only four weeks to recuperate after their summer adventure in the USA, winning the Club World Cup by defeating PSG and banking £85million in prize money along the way. So maybe it was too much to expect fireworks on the pitch in addition to the fireworks launched from the stadium roof before kick-off to mark their new title.

"We created enough chances," said rueful manager Enzo Maresco, adding that he felt Chelsea deserved victory.

Perplexingly for Chelsea fans, who overwhelmingly opt for Cole Palmer's name on the back of their replica shirts, he has switched from 20 to 10, taking over the in-limbo Mykhailo Mudryk's shirt number to mirror his idol Lionel Messi.

New striker Joao Pedro has taken 20, which means the tills will be ringing in the club shop as weary parents are nagged for replacements to last season's versions at £100 a pop. Emerging into the Fulham Road after Sunday's 0-0 draw, both 10s and 20s were widely on show.

Friendly at Kingsmeadow

Chelsea Women return to action at Kingsmeadow with a pre-season friendly against AC Milan on Saturday 30 August, with a lunchtime kick-off.

It follows Sunday's gentle 1-1 draw against Ajax in the Netherlands, with Guro Reiten's opener cancelled out by the Dutch team right at the end.

It was an opportunity for new summer arrivals Mara Alber, Ellie Carpenter and Livia Peng to pull on a blue shirt for the first time.

Lauren James, still on the recovery path, wasn't at the match. She was at Stamford Bridge, watching her big brother Reece lead out the men against Palace.

Jo-Jo Rytting Kaneryd, Sjoeke Nusken, Becky Spencer, Millie Bright and Nathalie Bjorn played in the second half of the match at Ajax.

It's all building nicely towards the official opening of the Women's Super League with a big, big fixture at Stamford Bridge on Friday 5 September at 7.30pm. Tickets are available here.