Crystal Palace 2-1 Chelsea: Eagles secure shock first victory of the season as Cesar Azpilicueta's own goal and Wilfried Zaha's strike stuns the champions

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They're Crystal Palace, and they score when they want. After seven successive losses, Selhurst Park's supporters seized the opportunity to sing a song they had all but forgotten.

Not only did Roy Hodgson's striker-less side get their first goal of the season, they got two — against the champions in Antonio Conte's Chelsea. No longer goalless, no longer pointless.

They are officially off the mark, five months to the day since they last scored and inflicted a defeat in the Premier League. Maybe they aren't dead, after all. 

Crystal Palace found the net for the first time this season as Cesar Azpilicueta's own goal put them into a shock lead

But they weren't able to hold on to their lead for long as Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko (centre) equalised

Palace heads didn't drop though and they were back in front before the half-time whistle thanks to Wilfried Zaha

The Palace fans could barely believe it as their players celebrated in front of them after taking the lead once again

Chelsea defender David Luiz cuts dejected figure as his side suffered a shock defeat against the struggling Eagles in London 

The delighted Crystal Palace players congratulate each other at the full-time whistle following their spirited performance

MATCH FACTS, RATINGS, TABLE AND MATCH ZONE

CRYSTAL PALACE (4-4-2): Speroni 7; Ward 7.5, Dann 8, Sakho 8, Van Aanholt 6.5; McArthur 8 (Fosu-Mensah 85), Cabaye 8 (Riedewald 86), Milivojevic 7.5, Schlupp 7.5 (Puncheon 75, 6); Zaha 9, Townsend 8.5

Subs not used: Tomkins, Kaikai, Sako, Henry

Goals: Azpilicueta (11og), Zaha (45)

Booked: Dann, Milivojevic

Manager: Roy Hodgson 7

CHELSEA (3-4-3): Courtois 5.5; Azpilicueta 5, Luiz 5.5, Cahill 5.5; Moses 6 (Zappacosta 40, 5), Fabregas 6, Bakayoko 6, Alonso 5.5; Willian 4.5 (Musonda 65, 5.5), Batshuayi 4 (Pedro 57, 6), Hazard 5

Subs not used: Caballero, Rudiger, Christensen, Scott

Goals: Bakayoko (18)

Booked: Bakayoko

Manager: Antonio Conte 5.5

Referee: Andre Marriner 6 

Man of the match: Wilfried Zaha 

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 Crystal Palace's first goal of the Premier League season was an own goal. More stats, maps and facts with Match Zone

Wilfried Zaha made it 2-1 to Palace

 

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For Conte and Chelsea, this felt like Sod's law. They had to be the ones to be beaten by the team that could not win. They had to concede twice against the side that could not score.

They were without Alvaro Morata and N'Golo Kante for this trip across the Thames but that should not have resulted in them being second-best all afternoon.

Palace went into this game having been thumped 5-0 and 4-0 by title chasers in Manchester City and Manchester United respectively. Chelsea have lost ground.

Conte was not happy with either of the goals his side conceded in south London. 

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte surveys the scene prior to his side's contest against Crystal Palace

Prior to kick-off at Selhurst Park, Kayla the Eagle, who has appeared on a Kings of Leon album cover, took flight

Cabaye helped give Palace the lead as he forced the ball towards goal, hitting Azpilicueta before hitting the back of the net

The Crystal Palace celebrate in front of their fans after scoring their first goal in the Premier League this season

But their lead was short-lived as midfielder Bakayoko climbed highest to equalise for Conte's visitors

French midfielder Bakayoko charges away with Gary Cahill to celebrate his side's equalising goal on Saturday

The first will not grace the contenders' list for goal of the season but was crucial for Palace's confidence after a Yohan Cabaye shot scrappily hit off Cesar Azpilicueta and went in.

Palace chairman Steve Parish had called on the footballing gods to give them the rub of the green in his pre-match programme notes. They got it there and then.

The second was down to the brilliance of Wilfried Zaha, who was appearing for the first time since August 12. He beat Azpilicueta and Davide Zappacosta, then produced the type of finish that Palace had been missing all season.

It gave them a lead they would restore on the stroke of half-time after Tiemoue Bakayoko had levelled. How Palace have missed Zaha and his X-factor. 

It was a familiar feeling for a Palace side who have endured a nightmare start to the Premier League season

Zaha shoots at goal under pressure from Marcos Alonso and Gary Cahill but can't find the back of the Chelsea net

Gary Cahill is almost on the receiving end of Zaha's boot as the Palace winger looks to clear the ball at Selhurst Park

Chelsea captain Cahill battles away with James McArthur in the corner, with both sides locked at 1-1 at Selhurst Park

A young Palace fan shows his vocal support for his team by cheering them on during Saturday's Premier League encounter 

Speaking afterwards, Zaha said: 'It's a dream, managing to beat Chelsea at home. Definitely, this is the start of a fightback — now we've got more confidence we can start to climb up the table.

'I'm so tired but it was all worth it for the win. We had to win.'

The white shirts of Chelsea were on the back foot from the off. After 630 minutes of not scoring this season, Palace came close to righting that wrong through Zaha almost immediately.

Andros Townsend scampered up the left wing after wrong-footing defender David Luiz and crossed to Zaha. He found space to shoot but keeper Thibaut Courtois kept it goal-less. 

The Premier League champions were all over the place and Palace got what they deserved — a goal.

Jeffrey Schlupp played in Townsend, who cut the ball back for Cabaye. He chested it down and fumbled it beyond Courtois via a deflection off Azpilicueta. It was far from pretty. Did Palace care? Not one bit.

Then, a kick in the teeth for the home side. From their first chance, Chelsea equalised.

Cesc Fabregas floated a corner over, Bakayoko lost his marker, Patrick van Aanholt, and headed beyond Julian Speroni. The defending was dire.

With star striker Alvaro Morata out injured for Chelsea, Michy Batshuayi (centre) was handed a start - but he didn't impress 

Serbian midfielder Luka Milivojevic puts Belgium international Batshuayi under pressure in an attempt to win the ball back 

Zaha superbly fired the ball past Courtois to put his side back into the lead again just before half time

The Palace players run over to celebrate with Zaha as the Palace fans celebrate taking an unlikely lead again

A dejected-looking Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois as Zaha wheels away to celebrate his match-winning strike 

It was heading for half-time when Zaha decided to celebrate his comeback with a brilliantly taken goal.

Mamadou Sakho slid the ball through before Zaha weaved between Zappacosta and Azpilicueta to slide it beyond Courtois. It was Palace 2, Chelsea 1 at the break.

Zaha's strike sent Hodgson wild in the dugout. Finally, his team had scored not once, but twice. What's that saying about buses again?

The omens weren't good for Chelsea. They had lost six of their previous seven previous Premier League games when trailing at half-time under Conte.

Eden Hazard is left flat out on his back as he appeals for a foul by Crystal Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic

It was an afternoon to forget for Conte, who saw his defending champions stunned by the league's basement club 

Palace boss Roy Hodgson and his side entered the game without either a point or a goal so far this season

They had the crossbar shaking soon after the start of the second half when Fabregas unleashed a shot from 30 yards.

You could sense the nervousness in the crowd. Palace were sitting back, trying to park the bus. It felt risky, with them relying on counter-attacks to get out of their own half.

As a last throw of the dice, Conte threw on Charly Musonda, the youngster who turns 21 on Sunday who had ranted on social media about a lack of opportunities. He had his chance, but it wasn't to be.

Finally, in their search for a Premier League point or goal, Palace succeeded at the eighth time of asking. They're still bottom, but the Eagles have landed.