Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace, Premier League: Preview, team news, how to watch

This game will take us to the official halfway point of the 2023-24 Premier League season: 19 down, 19 to go.

If we manage to win, we will have 25 points, and thus be on pace for 50 — six points better off than last season’s historic(ly bad) campaign. If we don’t win, we will be on pace for 44, matching last season’s total. One extra win per half-season is an improvement, technically, but not exactly a soul-stirring one.

On the plus side, we haven’t gotten worse — though, fun fact, the only time we’ve had fewer points in a 38-game Premier League season at the halfway mark was in 2015-16 (20; we had 26 last season).

Chelsea team news: Another setback thanks especially to the manner of defeat at Molineux on Sunday has left us in a rut once again, going nowhere fast nor anytime soon — though we have managed to put together a decent run of results at home: five unbeaten, with three wins and two draws, including the entertaining 4-4 against Manchester City and the dramatic 1-1 against Newcastle United in the League Cup that was settled in our favor on penalties. We have a good chance to keep that streak going as some semblance of consistency, with no good team on the home slate until the spring.

Of course, expecting consistency from this team about anything other than inconsistency or injuries may be a futile endeavor. And I only say “may” to retain at least a shred of possibly faux optimism.