It was a frustrating first period of football for the Blues at the Crystal Palace Training Ground. Although we produced some promising moments, it was the hosts who broke the deadlock around the 25-minute mark through striker David Angibeaud’s low effort.

The Eagles doubled their lead before the break when Makai Bernard-Ferguson looped his finish into the back of the net. Frustration grew early in the second half as, just one minute after the restart, Palace added a third with Oduro finding the bottom corner after a quick press.

We continued to search for a way back into the game, pushing forward and causing problems for the Palace defence, but luck was not on our side as we couldn’t find the breakthrough we needed. The Eagles struck again in the final minute of normal time when Donte Martin finished low to round off the scoring and bring our Under-18 Premier League Cup run to an end at the group stage.

Chelsea returned to action after the international break with a London derby against Crystal Palace and the match began at a frantic pace. From the opening whistle the game swung from end to end, with both sides trading attacks and looking dangerous as they tried to seize early control.

Our first real threat came through winger Chris Atherton, who burst down the right before cutting a dangerous ball across the area. He was looking for newcomer striker Jashayde Greenwood, who came close to turning it home, and those early exchanges made it clear that the Blues had the weapons to trouble Palace.

Despite our bright start, the hosts gradually grew into the contest. Palace settled into longer spells of possession and probed for gaps, but keeper Freddy Bernal remained composed behind a disciplined defensive line that limited the Eagles to half-chances. Clear opportunities were scarce, yet the intensity of a London derby was evident in every challenge and every build-up.

Frustrating moments

The breakthrough went the way of Crystal Palace when they punished a moment of hesitation at the back. Dante Waite, pressed tightly inside his own box, attempted to find a team-mate with a back-pass, but Angibeaud reacted first and fired past Bernal to put the hosts ahead.

Falling behind sparked a determined response from Chelsea. Riely Ebho linked well with midfielder Ibrahim Rabbaj who drove forward with purpose to push Palace back. Atherton continued to threaten by drifting into the penalty area and unsettling the Eagles’ back line as we pressed for an equaliser.

Just as we seemed to be gathering momentum, frustration began to take hold. Our passing sequences were sharp and transitions quick which often caught Palace off guard, yet the final ball refused to fall our way. Palace tracked back well in numbers and closed down openings that had looked promising.

A second setback arrived soon after. A floated delivery into the box from Jacob Fasida drew Bernal off his line as he attempted to claim it. Joseph Wheeler-Henry rose highest to clear, but the loose ball fell kindly to Bernard-Ferguson who looped his finish into the net to double Palace’s advantage.

We continued to push through stoppage time in search of a route back into the game, but we went into the interval trailing 2-0 with plenty of work ahead.

Further disappointment

The second half began in difficult fashion. Palace struck again soon after the restart, working a neat passing move that opened space inside our area as Chuks Okoli found Oduro who guided his finish into the bottom corner.

With that momentum, Oduro nearly scored again with a right-footed strike from distance that slipped just past the post, bringing a moment of relief for the Blues.

Head coach Hassan Sulaiman then turned to his bench for fresh energy. The match began to tighten up, and although the Blues found Palace defensively organised, we continued to push forward.

Our first clear chance of the second period came when substitute Mathis Eboue broke upfield and was brought down on the edge of the area. Yahya Idrissi stepped up and curled the free-kick around the wall, forcing Eagles keeper Marcus Hill into a smart save.

Despite applying more pressure in the latter stages, the hosts found another late goal. A long pass from Angibeaud released Jasper Judd, and although Calvin Diakite made an initial clearance, the ball fell straight to Martin who finished firmly to close the scoring and confirm our exit from the competition.

What's next

Chelsea will next be in Under-18 Premier League action as we face West Ham away at Little Heath Sports Centre, with an 11am kick-off on Saturday 29 November. The match will be available to stream free of charge on the Chelsea Official App and website.

The teams

Chelsea (4-3-3): Freddy Bernal; Riley Ebho, Joseph Wheeler-Henry, Dante Waite (c) (Calvin Diakite 59), Harry McGlinchey; Charlie Holland (Mathis Eboue 59), Isago Silva, Ibrahim Rabbaj (Yahya Idrissi 59); Chris Atherton, Jashayde Greenwood, Sol Gordon (Joel Philbert 69)
Unused sub: Heze Grimwade
Booked: Atherton 7, McGlinchey 90+3

Crystal Palace: Marcus Hill, Jasper Judd (c) (Daniel Owoade 90), Jacob Fasida, Charlie Walker-Smith, Sean Somade, Chuks Okoli, Stuart Oduro (Khyan Frazer-Williams 78), Euan Danaher, David Angibeaud (Raihaan Anderson 90), Donte Martin, Makai Bernard-Ferguson (Mylo Bernard 78)
Unused sub: Jack Mason
Scorers: Angibeaud 24, Bernard-Ferguson 44, Oduro 47, Martin 89
Booked: Okoli 22