Last week, when Chelsea debuted their new home blue kit, emblazoned with the number 3 on the front, the product rollout didn’t go so well. Regardless of what you think of that shirt and its design, the club lost 3-2 to relegation fodder West Ham United while premiering the shirts.
It was just too easy for everyone to make the same “how many goals are you going to concede today?” joke. The 3 is for new shirt sponsor Three UK, a telco giant, but it’s strange seeing a number on both the front and back of a strip. That will take some getting used to, to say the least.
Introducing our new @nikefootball 20/21 away kit. Inspired by a classic tailored aesthetic but filtered through a modern street lens and colour palette.
Available 30.07.20 #ItsAChelseaThing #ThePrideOfLondon pic.twitter.com/BgcUKZMm5d
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 7, 2020
Other than that, we don’t see anything too unorthodox about the new Chelsea kit, but new shirts always polarize opinion anyway. Today sees the Blues debut their new away shirt, in the match at Crystal Palace that kicks off in a matter of minutes.
It’s a sky blue, or Carolina blue, or powder blue look, whatever you want to call it, but it’s very reminiscent of Manchester City, certainly.
We're debuting our new @nikefootball away kit in tonight's game! ?#CRYCHE pic.twitter.com/XsOTfeMDrX
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 7, 2020
Also, if you want some preview material for this kit debuting fixture, we’ve got you covered with all that below.
Chelsea FC at Crystal Palace FYIs
Kickoff: Tue July 7, 8pm, Selhurst Park
Team News for both sides: go to this link
Chelsea Starting XI Prediction: go to this link
TV Channel/Live Stream: Sky Sports (UK), fuboTV (US)
Referee: David Coote
Form Guide: Chelsea WLWWW Crystal Palace WWWLL
Position: Chelsea are fourth, up two points on surging Manchester United, one point behind Leicester City. Crystal Palace are 14th, well established in safety position.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly contributes to WGN TV, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Now and SB Nation.
You can follow Banks, a former writer for Chicago Tribune.com, on Twitter and his cat on Instagram.
