Half-time. 2-1. In the dressing room, I was brief.
"Chelsea will change shape in the second half. Conte will go to a back four. He'll bring on Fabregas for Bakayoko to control the midfield. That means more of the ball for them but less defensive security. The spaces will be bigger. The counter-attacks will be faster." I looked at the room. "Stay patient. Stay disciplined. The third goal will come."
The second half played out as Sarah predicted. Conte switched to a 4-3-3. Fabregas replaced Bakayoko. Chelsea had more possession, more territory, more of the ball in Palace's half. But the spaces were bigger. The gaps between the full-backs and the centre-backs widened. The counter-attacking channels opened.
Palace defended with the discipline that Sakho and Konaté had built over four months of partnership. The first-choice centre-back pairing, reunited after three days apart, played as though they had never been separated.
