Sarri admits Chelsea’s Zaha struggle in Crystal Palace win

Maurizio Sarri has admitted that Chelsea struggled to cope with ‘very fast’ Wilfried Zaha in their 3-1 win over Crystal Palace.

Although he failed to carry on with his penchant for scoring against the Blues, the winger was a constant source of worry for the Blues’ backline in the encounter.

And while Sarri expressed concerned about his side’s leaving him space to attack, he was quick to point that playing against the former Manchester United winger ‘is not easy’.

"Because Zaha is very fast. Sometimes, I have to say that, especially in the first 20 minutes in the first half and the first 15 minutes of the second half, we were not in good positions under the ball line in the offensive phase,” Sarri admitted after the game.

“We were in trouble because we gave them, and especially him, spaces to attack. So it's not easy to run with Zaha in a long race.”

A pair of strikes from Alvaro Morata and Pedro’s effort rendered Andros Townsend’s equaliser for Palace consolatory as Chelsea extended their unbeaten run to 11 in the English Premier League.