Chelsea was held to a 0-0 draw by Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday in the team's first competitive match as the club world champion.

A month after stunning Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final , Chelsea toiled in its league opener at Stamford Bridge after a short preseason because of its exertions in the United States.

Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, hit the ground running with a 3-1 win over Brentford, with striker Chris Wood — the team's top scorer last season with 20 goals — netting twice in the first half either side of a goal on debut by Dan Ndoye .

Later, Manchester United hosts Arsenal in the marquee match of the opening round, which has already seen wins for likely title contenders Liverpool and Manchester City.

Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.co

See Full Page