Patrick Vieira's Guardiola moment and questionable Benteke cameo: Crystal Palace talking points

Before the match had even started, the mind games began at Wembley with the announcement of Crystal Palace’s starting XI. For the first time this season, Patrick Vieira set his side up in an unfamiliar 5-3-2 formation designed to match Chelsea man for man.

Cheikhou Kouyate turned out at centre-back alongside Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi, while Wilfried Zaha and Jean-Philippe Mateta shared striking duties between them as part of a front two.

For the first 45 minutes, it worked perfectly. Thomas Tuchel’s side were unable to find their rhythm, aided somewhat by an injury to Mateo Kovacic after 25 minutes. Palace dug in deep and sat back when required before springing counterattacks up the pitch whenever possible. Zaha and Ebere Eze sought to provide the magic between the lines while Jeffrey Schlupp and James McArthur brutishly won the ball back in midfield.

But in the second half, things went wrong. Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored from a similar chance that Kouyate had missed in the first half before Mason Mount killed off the match from close range soon after. Vieira had earlier switched things up by turning to a 5-4-1 formation, though this only played into Chelsea’s hands as Jorginho got on the ball and managed the game until full-time.

After having an impressive opening 45 minutes up against the physical Antonio Rudiger, Jean-Philippe Mateta probably could have felt a little aggrieved that he was taken off for Jordan Ayew just seven minutes into the second half.

Until then, he’d won six aerial duels and eight ground duels, constantly pushing Palace up the pitch and almost setting up Zaha with a flashed cross across the box during the first half. Once he was replaced by Ayew just seven minutes into the second half, Palace