Chelsea suffered a shock 2-1 defeat in their Premier League match against London rivals Crystal Palace.

Bakary Sako fired the Eagles in front after his initial strike had been blocked, but Radamel Falcao levelled for the Blues with a near-post header from Pedro's cross.

With nine minutes left to play the visitors retook the lead as Joel Ward headed in from close range to secure his side's first win at Chelsea in 33 years.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the events that unfolded at Stamford Bridge.

Match statistics

CHELSEA
Shots: 26
On target: 9
Possession: 64%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 9

CRYSTAL PALACE
Shots: 13
On target: 6
Possession: 36%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 15

Was the result fair?

Palace were well worth the three points this afternoon, after a fine display against their London rivals. From the very first minute they took the game to Chelsea and were determined to put the Blues under pressure. They wasted a good chance to take the lead as Yohan Cabaye fired his effort straight at the keeper from a good position, but the hosts gradually took charge before the break and had chances to score themselves.

The Eagles then made a strong start to the second half and the introduction of Bolasie gave them an extra edge in the attack. The winger was heavily involved as his fine run and cross helped to set up Sako to open the scoring. Palace could have extended their lead before Falcao headed in an equaliser, but within minutes Ward popped up to score the winner. It was well deserved for their confident display and Chelsea cannot have too many complaints with the final result.

Chelsea's performance

The Blues have made a sluggish start to the new season and there will be further question marks raised following another lacklustre showing. They were slow to get out of the blocks, and despite seeing plenty of the ball, they struggled to get in behind a well-drilled Palace backline. There was also little support for Diego Costa, while Eden Hazard failed to find any of the form that saw him named last season's PFA Player of the Year.

Jose Mourinho's side were also without captain John Terry, meaning that Gary Cahill and Kurt Zouma were paired together in the heart of the defence. However, they struggled to deal with Palace's strength and pace in the attack and were caught out badly for the goals. Branislav Ivanovic was also at fault, and he was easily beaten by Sako countless times throughout the afternoon. The Blues have now picked up just four points from their opening four games, and with league leaders Manchester City eight points clear of them, the title is already looking a long way off.

Crystal Palace's performance

Palace have enjoyed a great start to the season and they won their third Premier League match of the campaign with an impressive display this afternoon. They looked bright from the opening minutes, with Sako causing plenty of danger down the left. It was not just in the attack where they impressed, as Damien Delaney and Scott Dann produced fine defensive displays to nullify the threat of Costa.

They may have seen far less of the ball than their opponents, but they used it well and always looked like creating chances in the final third. It was no surprise to see them break the deadlock, and they could easily have scored again before Chelsea equalised. Many teams would have fallen apart after conceding at Stamford Bridge, but Palace showed great mental strength to immediately retake the lead, and they held off a late onslaught from the hosts to leave with a memorable win.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Bakary Sako: There were a number of fine performances from the visitors, including a superb defensive display from Delaney and an inspirational appearance from the bench by Bolasie, but Sako just edges ahead of them. He scored the first goal for Palace with a well-taken effort and set up the second for Ward. He was also involved in most of his team's best moves and he caused Ivanovic no end of problems down the left flank.

Biggest gaffe

Within minutes of Palace taking the lead, they had a great chance to score a second goal when Bolasie was found unmarked at the back post by Sako. The Congo international then looked set for a tap in, but he somehow fired wide of the post. Fortunately for the winger, his team went on to win the match and he was not made to pay for that miss.

Referee performance

There can be no complaints from either side about Craig Pawson's display this afternoon. The referee did not put a foot wrong, handing out just two deserved bookings, and was not forced into making any contentious decisions.

What next?

Chelsea:

The Blues will return to action after the international break with a trip to Everton on September 12.

Crystal Palace:

Palace will hope to keep up their good form when they welcome Manchester City to Selhurst Park on September 12.