Eze And Guehi Named In Crystal Palace Starting Lineup For Season Opener

Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi are starting for Crystal Palace in their first Premier League match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. This is despite ongoing transfer rumors about both players.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner chose both Eze and club captain Guehi for the starting lineup against Chelsea. Eze is in the attack with Ismaila Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta, while Guehi is in defense. There were doubts about their involvement because of strong transfer interests, with Guehi linked to Liverpool and Eze being pursued by Tottenham and Arsenal. However, both players are focused on today’s important match, which is a positive for Palace at the start of the season. A report confirmed that Eze and Guehi were also in the starting lineup for Palace’s Community Shield win against Liverpool a week ago. This shows their importance to the team despite the uncertainty about their future.

TRANSFER DISTRACTIONS LOOM LARGE

This summer has been difficult for Crystal Palace off the field. Eberechi Eze has told Crystal Palace he wants to leave and join Tottenham; Arsenal are also interested in him and are reportedly considering a swap deal since his £68 million release clause expired last week. Meanwhile, Guehi’s contract is up next summer, and he is highly likely to make a big move, with Liverpool showing serious interest. Despite this, Palace managed to keep both players in the squad for the opener. The club’s transfer activity has been slow, with only Borna Sosa and Walter Benitez added so far. Palace missed out on European competition due to a UEFA dispute over multi-club ownership rules, and now face the challenge of keeping their momentum while potentially losing key figures.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR PALACE AND THEIR OPPONENTS?

Crystal Palace start the new season looking for stability after a summer of changes. Their opponents today, Chelsea, also had a tough season last year and want to move back up the Premier League standings. Last season, Palace finished mid-table and were in contention for Europe before the UEFA ruling changed their fate. The upcoming fixtures will be crucial, as uncertainty about Eze and Guehi’s future could still affect team cohesion. After facing Chelsea, Palace will host Nottingham Forest, but only after facing Fredrikstad for a spot in the Conference League group stage. With the transfer window still open, Guehi is unlikely to sign a new contract with Crystal Palace, making their performances today and in the coming weeks important to the team’s direction.