Noni Madueke is adamant that Chelsea deserved their 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace, with the substitute securing the win with a last-gasp penalty.
Despite a series of missed opportunities, the Blues appeared headed for another frustrating evening at Stamford Bridge. Michael Olise had equalized Mykhailo Mudryk’s 13th-minute opener just before halftime.
However, Madueke, who came off the bench, rescued Chelsea with a penalty one minute before the end of normal time.
Speaking to Prime Video, he said: “It was a difficult game.
“Credit to Crystal Palace, they played some good stuff and were difficult to break down.
“But credit to us as well, we deserved it.”
Madueke, aged 21, entered the game in the 71st minute and played a pivotal role in winning the crucial spot-kick after being fouled by Eberechi Eze inside the penalty box.
He added: “It was a stonewall penalty.
“I scored one earlier in the Carabao Cup and I was confident with my technique.
“You want to play all the time. You want to be able to make an impact like I did today when you come off the bench.”
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Crystal Palace had five shots on target, while Chelsea had four. Eagles boss Roy Hodgson expressed the sentiment that his team, currently just three points above the Premier League drop zone, deserved more from the game.
Hodgson, 76, said: “I was happy with that performance. I don’t accept the carving of defences was purely Chelsea.
“We had equally as many chances as Chelsea. We took the game to Chelsea for the bulk of the time in the second half.
“Of course, it’s a concern [being just above relegation zone]. We aren’t winning matches at the moment.
“If we weren’t showing the spirit we are showing, that would be more of a concern. It hurts that we are near the bottom of the table.
“I have always had optimism. We have to keep working. We lost 2-1 because there was a controversial penalty.”