Christian Pulisic netted twice, with Kai Havertz - in his
best Premier League appearance for the Blues - and Kurt Zouma also scoring.
Three-nil was scant reward for the West London side's
first-half dominance and Palace briefly looked like they might get back into
the game when Christian Benteke nodded home.
Chelsea are up to fourth place and sit two points clear of
fifth placed Liverpool.
West Ham, also two points behind the Blues, would reclaim fourth
if they beat Leicester on Sunday.
Havertz has endured a difficult time since his close-season
move from Bayer Leverkusen, but he gave a rare glimpse of his quality with the
opening goal in south London.
The 21-year-old turned provider to set up Pulisic for the
second goal before Kurt Zouma put Chelsea three up after 30 minutes.
Christian Benteke got one back for Palace in the second
half, but Pulisic netted again as Chelsea cruised to their first win in three
league games.
Tuchel suffered his first defeat in 15 matches since
replacing the sacked Frank Lampard when West Bromwich Albion claimed a 5-2 win
at Stamford Bridge last weekend.
That stunning setback was followed by a training ground
bust-up between Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger and reserve keeper Kepa
Arrizabalaga.
But Chelsea had eased fears of a late-season collapse with a
composed 2-0 win against Porto in the Champions League quarter-final first leg
on Wednesday.
This was another confident step in Chelsea’s revival under
Tuchel, who faces a big week as the Blues take on Porto in the second leg on
Tuesday before playing Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday.
Tuchel recalled Pulisic, Zouma and Callum Hudson-Odoi, with
the misfiring Timo Werner among those to miss out.
“On form and on work rate. We used Timo Werner lots and are
close to overuse,” Tuchel said of his decision to rest the struggling German
forward.
Thanks in large part to Havertz, who started in the central
striker’s role Werner has failed to fill, Chelsea tore Palace to shreds in a
blistering start.
In the groove
Havertz has arguably fared even worse than Werner in his
first season, but in the eighth minute the German showed why the Blues paid £71
million ($97 million) to sign him.
Taking Hudson-Odoi’s pass on the right-hand side of the
Palace area, Havertz advanced with intent before stroking a fine finish in the
far corner from an acute angle.
It was only his second league goal for Chelsea and his first
in any competition since January.
Pulisic is another of Chelsea’s forwards who has slogged
through a difficult season marred by injuries.
But the United States winger joined forces with Havertz to
double Chelsea’s lead 102 seconds later.
Havertz was the creator with a cutback that Pulisic took in
stride before smashing a rising drive past Vicente Guaita from close-range.
Havertz looked in the groove at last and he showed sublime
touch to control Mason Mount’s lofted pass, looping it over bewildered Palace
defender Gary Cahill for a low strike that forced a superb save from Guaita.
Chelsea hadn’t scored more than two goals in any of their
previous 16 matches under Tuchel in all competitions.
Zouma ended that streak in the 30th minute as Mount swung in
a free-kick and the French defender rose above Cahill to power his header past
Guaita.
Palace’s work rate improved in the second half as Chelsea
moved into game-management mode with the points in the bag.
Benteke reduced the deficit in the 63rd minute with a
thumping header from Jeffrey Schlupp’s cross.
But Chelsea had the last word when Pulisic bundled home
James’ deflected cross in the 78th minute.
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