Chelsea shoot back into Champions League places

​Premier League

Crystal Palace 1

Chelsea 4

​Christian Pulisic scored twice as rampant Chelsea moved back into the Champions League places with a clinical display against Crystal Palace.

Kai Havertz and Pulisic both struck inside the opening 10 minutes as the Blues wasted little time in regaining fourth spot, which Liverpool had momentarily occupied.

Kurt Zouma powered home Mason Mount’s free kick on the half hour as Chelsea threatened to run riot.

The Blues were desperate to get back to winning ways in the Premier League and the early blitz would have delighted Thomas Tuchel.

After Havertz had cooly slotted in the opener, Pulisic rifled home his first to double the advantage with barely 10 minutes gone.

And Zouma’s header meant the Blues had scored more than twice in a game for the first time under Tuchel.

Christian Benteke reduced the deficit after the break, before Pulisic tucked home his second to put the shine on an impressive away performance.

CRYSTAL PALACE (4-4-2): Guaita 5, Ward 5, Kouyate 5, Cahill 5, van Aanholt 4; Ayew 5 (Townsend 76 5), Milivojevic 5, Riedewald 5 (McCarthy 59 5), Eze 4 (Schlupp 59 6); Benteke 6, Zaha 5 

Substitutes not used: Butland, Dann, Mateta, Mitchell, Kelly, Rak-Sakyi

CHELSEA (3-4-2-1): Mendy 6, Azpilicueta 7, Zouma 8, Rudiger 7; Hudson-Odoi 7 (James 76 6), Jorginho 7 (Kante 61 6), Kovacic 7 (Ziyech 83), Chilwell 8; Mount 7, Pulisic 8, Havertz 8 

Substitutes not used: Arrizabalaga, Alonso, Abraham, Werner, Giroud, Emerson