Not long after the match started it didn’t take Mikael Forssell long to remind Palace fans of his scoring touch, the young Finn having spent a year on loan here three seasons ago.

With just four minutes gone, a badly defended Wayne Bridge cross presented him with a shooting chance which he placed firm and low beyond Clarke in the home side’s goal.

Then followed a period of relatively little goal mouth action. Instead there was the opportunity to look for a few indicators of good form. Desailly and Terry were early to oblige – Marcel storming out of defence to get things moving on several occasions and John Terry executing one of his frightening but totally clean sliding challenges on the dangerous Routledge.

Damien Duff was causing problems as he threatened to burst past opponents on several occasions and Geremi certainly gave indications that he would be no liability if needed in central midfield when the season proper begins.

Just before half-time the same player also laid claim to one Chelsea vacancy - but before that, Palace were allowed to equalise.

Michael Hughes took a quick free-kick from the halfway line and found Freedman in space. With Cudicini well out of his goal, he had no chance with the lob that followed.
Cudicini had been closer his line shortly before to punch away a well hit Johnson shot while at the other end, a Forssell header from a Gronkjaer cross also brought a save and Wayne Bridge’s half-hit shot went narrowly wide.
Then as injury time began, a surging Geremi was fouled 30 yards out. From a similar position to the one he scored against Chelsea last season, the Cameroonian hit a peach of a free-kick into the top left corner.
Zola’s replacement for dead-ball shooting may already have been settled.

There were three Chelsea changes at the break. Ambrosio was swapped for Cudicini, Huth replaced Desailly and Duff came off. Geremi pushed wide right, Gronkjaer swapped wings with Nicolas the new boy in central midfield.

After 12 minutes of an uneventful opening to the half, Gronkjaer himself made way for Hasselbaink as the formation metamorphosised into 4-3-3. Shortly after there were further personnel changes as Joe Keenan came on for Terry with Johnson moving into the centre of defence and Geremi dropping back.

The game was truly adopting a pre-season feel now, confirmed when Carlton Cole then replaced Gudjohnsen.
It took until 20 minutes from the end for the game to settle down into anything watchable but when it did, Chelsea produced a sublime piece of football.

Geremi swung over a testing cross which was eventually collected by Forssell at the far post. A shuffle of quick feet later and the ball had been laid back to the charging Keenan whose curled shot was tipped over at full stretch. Then Jimmy curled a long range effort just over the bar before Palace at last broke free in the shape of Tommy Black. Under pressure from Huth, he shot wide.

Freedman was sent clear as the game entered its final ten minutes but Ambrosio bravely smothered the danger, not without pain. Then at the death, Freedman had another chance on the run to pull the game all square but he shot wide of the far post.

Palace had shown their strongest spell towards the end but with their season starting next weekend, perhaps that should be of no surprise. Chelsea’s overall condition is clearly improving with one friendly to go and a week-and-a-half to go.

Fitness apart, there were more than a few positives to take from this workout – Geremi’s display in three different positions the pick of the crop.