Kai Havertz scored a magnificent goal as Chelsea won 4-1 at Crystal Palace on Sunday, but was denied a potential ‘goal of the season’ by a Vicente Guaita save.
The German put on a showing to silence critics as the Blues raced into a 2-0 lead within the first ten minutes.
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It was Havertz who struck first early on.
After dominating the opening exchanges, the Chelsea went ahead when he curled beyond Guaita from inside the area moments after Christian Pulisic had been denied by the Spaniard.
talkSPORT co-commentator Dean Ashton reacted by saying: “That’s the way that you answer any critics, if you’ve had plenty of them this season.
“If you can go out and perform and produce moments such as that.
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“When it came into Kai Havertz, just the way he shimmied and faked to shoot just a couple of times, quick shift onto that left foot and then curled it round the defender and past Guaita into that far corner.
“It was a real classy finish.”
Minutes later, Chelsea doubled the lead.
Pulisic smashed into the roof of the net from a tight angle following more statuesque Palace defending.
Havertz then crafted a marvellous chance to make it 3-0 as he incredibly flicked the ball over Patrick van Aanholt, but was denied by Guaita right at the last moment.
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Ashton said on talkSPORT: “You have to say the ball from Jorginho over the top for Havertz was just magnificent.
“And the touch over the top of Van Aanholt, I mean we were talking about possibly one of the goals of the season.
“In terms of the vision to know and the awareness to know where Van Aanholt was, to take that touch as it’s coming over your shoulder, touch it so it’s just enough to go over the defender’s head into your pass to then volley.
“It was a brilliant save by Guaita otherwise that would’ve been a magnificent goal.”
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Regardless, Chelsea went 3-0 up with half an hour played when Kurt Zouma headed home a Mason Mount free-kick.
It capped a disastrous opening period for Roy Hodgson’s side, with frustration getting the better of a number of players after Van Aanholt and Zaha exchanged words.
Christian Benteke gave Palace a lifeline in the second half when he headed in his sixth goal of the season after 63 minutes.
Substitute Jeffrey Schlupp crossed in from the left and the Belgian was able to direct his effort into the corner to reduce the deficit.
But Palace were unable to build on this and the game ended 4-1 when Pulisic completed his brace in the 78th minute.
Reece James, moments after he was introduced, picked out the American, who applied the required finish from close range.
The win pushed Chelsea back into the top four, while Palace remain 13th.
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