Chelsea did not take part in the last round of the Premier League after joining the FIFA Club World Cup. The Blues will officially carry the title of world club champion in the next few months after triumphing in the tournament. Chelsea beat Al Hilal 1-0 in the semi-finals and Palmeiras 2-1 in the final (1-1 in regular time) to congratulate themselves on the gold medals and win the only trophy he lacked in the club's showcase.

However, the performance of the Blues was not the best. Although they were given a week off in early February, many of Thomas Tuchel's players looked tired. Mason Mount suffered an injury in the final and will be absent for at least two weeks, but Edward Mandy has returned from the African Cup of Nations and will return to his starting place under the door against Crystal Palace.

On Saturday I expect an interesting derby between the two west London teams. Without Reese James and Ben Chillwell, Chelsea are quite predictable in the lead and their opponents are taking advantage of this. Al Hilal and Palmeiras had studied the Blues perfectly, and returning to their half made it very difficult for their opponent. In fact, Chelsea won the tournament after two chaotic goals from the cross and a penalty. I expect that in the coming weeks, at least until the return of Reese James, the Blues will continue to play unconvincingly and are unlikely to be involved in a large number of successful matches. In his last four games, Crystal Palace is also not convincing and has not scored more than one goal in each of them.