Murphy: Chelsea win shows there’s no way Palace are going down

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Danny Murphy says ‘there’s no way’ Crystal Palace are going down after watching them beat Chelsea 2-1.

Crystal Palace fans celebrate a goal during the Premier League match against Chelsea.

Crystal Palace scored their first goals and picked up their first points of the 2017/18 Premier League season as they beat Chelsea 2-1.

The Eagles had been the first side in English top flight history to lose their first seven league games without finding the back of the net once, so this result was certainly a long time coming for manager Roy Hodgson and his team.

The victory doesn’t move the South Londoners off the bottom of the table but former midfielder Danny Murphy, who was managed by Hodgson at Fulham, thinks they showed enough against the Blues to suggest they will avoid relegation this season.

The BBC pundits (L-R) Paul Scholes, part owner of Salford City and former players Danny Murphy and Trevor Sinclair talk prior to the Emirates FA Cup Second Round match between Salford City and Hartlepool United.

“He’ll [Hodgson] have worked continuously on the shape. Roy gets labelled as a negative defensive coach and he likes to have a good platform and play reasonably defensively,” Murphy said while acting as a pundit on Match Of The Day.

“They played on the front foot [against Chelsea] but they were still organised. They looked a real threat and there’s no way they’re going down.”

Crystal Palace players celebrate as Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea scores an own goal.

Next up for Palace is a trip to newly promoted Newcastle United, but having played four of last campaign’s top six in their opening eight matches they will feel that things should get a little easier from hereon in.

Hodgson does have a good reputation when it comes to working with apparent mid-table sides having previously impressed with West Bromwich Albion and the Cottagers.

These three points against Antonio Conte’s men will be a huge confidence boost to the 70-year-old and his players and it now remains to be seen whether Murphy’s prediction will come to fruition.