Chelsea's free-flow attack stumbled at the starting line of the Premier League title race, while the side of Enzo Maresca stuttered at home to a Born-Draw in Crystal Palace.
Allegedly on the edge of the club's move, it was Ebereechi who thought he had opened the score, only for VAR to rule his free kick on a violation in the wall by Marc Guehi.
It was a VAR call that really wrote the story of this game, where both teams were unable to create movements with a lot of meaning behind it.
A tightly disputed first half was met with an equally tight second second 45 minutes.
The introduction of Teenage Wonderkid Estevao threatened to shake things up in the second half, while the Brazilian tempo and enthusiasm injected into a matte chelsea attack.
But even his Brazilian sparkle was not sharp enough to cut an opening for the men of Maresca.
And despite a number of replacements after Estevao, including new number nine Liam Delap, the shooters of Stamford Bridge could only fire spaces before they went to West Ham next week.
This is how Sunsport Chelsea Reporter Lloyd Canfield rated the players …
Robert Sanchez – 6
It is unclear whether Robert Sanchez was blinded by the sun or by a player like a eze-free kick past him, but Var might save him in that sense, as it was excluded.
Best free bets and registration offers
The Spaniard stopped firmly to deny Jean Phillipe-Mateta in the first half, and his distribution seemed improved compared to last season, but there are still question marks about him under the fan base of the blues.
With an 'elite' goalkeeper like Gianluigi Donnarumma for grasping, he is currently under a lot of pressure to perform.
Transfer News Live – Stay informed of the last from a busy summer window
Reece James – 7
The Captain of Chelsea was commissioned to march Ebere Eeze van Rechtsback for the blues, and led from the back with the young Josh Acheampong next to him.
It was not a vintage, flying full -back Reece James version, but one that showed an adulthood of his game with a good passing reach and an atmosphere of calmness on the ball that he has always possessed.
Josh ACEAMPONG – 9
The graduated Cobham Academy was again thrown into the deep end in the absence of Levi Colwill and Tosin for Chelsea.
With all the talk about whether the blues will sign a new central defender or not, the teenager did extremely well under enormous pressure, put the making of tackles and showing elite kalme on the ball, sending something of a relaxing aura around Stamford Bridge with it.
Dealing with the physicality of Jean Phillipe Mateta is a tough task for every defender, and Achampong will have to grow physically before he can dominate that kind of threat, but it didn't bother him much today.
Enzo Maresca has the answer to his injury dilemma from the club, as they wanted, and Chelsea will hope that the young person can build on such an impressive display.
Trevoh Chalobah – 7
Maybe it should have done better if he had the chance to open the score after 30 minutes, because the ball was friendly to him, just eight meters, just to be fired over the bar.
But Trevoh Chalobah did a solid show against his former club, with a range of good tackles and blocks, and led Josh Acheampong next to him in a brilliant show.
Marc Cucurella – 5
Almost the score with a header opened before an awkward challenge gave a free kick to Crystal Palace, of which they thought they had opened the score.
Marc Cucurella has often become a source of attacking threat and casual creation under Enzo Maresca, but was unable to create many openings when he progressed further on the field and lost the ball too often.
Moises Caicedo – 8
Consistency personified in Blue, Moises Caicedo was his usual brilliant self today.
Vital interceptions, tackles full of heart and the endurance of a marathon runner, Caicedo spread the ball through the midfield of Chelsea and brought from the very first whistle to the last.
A little more creativity and ball progression of the in -depth midfielder would have improved his assessment to that real elite level.
Enzo Fernandez – 4
A very quiet first half saw Moises Caicedo only did the work of two people, with Enzo Fernandez seemed flooded by the enigmatic Ebere Eze.
Struggled to get his foot on the ball and create opportunities because he did so well in recent matches for the blues, before he was exchanged for Andrey Santos in the last 15 minutes.
Jamie Gittens – 4
After an electric preseason that fans enthusiastically left him to see him in Premier League promotion for the first time, he was somewhat disappointing in the first half.
He received a run for his money by Daniel Munoz and did not succeed in delivering a kind of end product on his PL -Boog.
Better things will come from Chelsea's new number 11, which was replaced by Wonderkid Estevao Willian after 54 minutes.
Cole Palmer – 3
A shadow of his usual self, Cole Palmer did not deliver the same kind of fireworks that we were so used to seeing him under Enzo Maresca.
Instead, he saw the same player for a large part of the game that we saw last year during his 'Rough Patch'.
He was not allowed to create much, or no, space on the ball and was unable to create anything out of nothing in this game that everyone knows can do best.
Pedro Neto – 5
Chelsea fans know what to expect from Pedro Neto now, in his worst he will work a lot of hard work and run, even on a baking day at Stamford Bridge like today.
He was more impressive than gittens on the other wing, but also had trouble creating really meaningful opportunities, with a few deliveries that sail over Chelsea attackers.
Neto was switched to the left when Estevao was introduced, but it was almost the same as the first half in truth.
Joao Pedro – 4
After five goals in his first five games for Chelsea, he had completely justified his place in Enzo Maresca's Start XI for this game.
In this game, however, fans wanted to see the introduction of Liam Delap after the half-time whistle, which flourished with a little less than 20 minutes to go.
The Brazilian struggled to understand the game through the neck of the neck against Palace, and could not offer the link with Cole Palmer that was so impactful in the club World Cup.
Replacement
Estevao – 7
Estevao is immediately injected energy and enthusiasm into the game, but also in the crowd, is a catalyst for making things happen in this team.
As soon as he came up, he had Marc Guehi in a turn before he delivered a cross that created a Chelsea chance, even though he is not ready – a movement that will let the fans of Blues scream to start against West Ham next week.
Estevao might have had to open the score, with an opportunity that he fell in the second half that he seemed to think about before he shot over.
Nevertheless, with the iconic Romario watching Stamford Bridge, he will be convinced that Joga Bonito has a place here for years.
Malo Gusto – 4
Took on the role of Reece James when he rose, and was usually solid at the back, but also unable to create a forward spark.
Saw his name in lights in the 88th minute, but those lights may have blinded him when his shot from the range in Rijdoe.
Andrey Santos – 5
A solid show by the Brazilian in midfield, but leaned back too much and shot over the bar in the dying sintels of the game with a left shot for the Matthew Harding-Einde.
A little later he came close, this time with a header understood by Henderson.
Liam Delap – 5
His determination and hard work showed him a goals when the game ended.
But his effort on the half volley was stopped relatively easily by Dean Henderson.
This season, Delap will undoubtedly be a handful for defenders when he comes from the bank, and probably doesn't want to settle for playing second violin to Joao Pedro too long.