Twitter Reacts as Cesar Azpilicueta Receives Red Card vs. Crystal Palace

What figured to be a fairly routine match for EPL-leading Chelsea against Crystal Palace on Saturday became much trickier with the ejection of one of the Blues' best players.

According to the Premier League's official Twitter account, defender Cesar Azpilicueta was shown a red card in the 40th minute for a tackle on Eagles captain Mile Jedinak:

The dynamic Spaniard was given a straight red due to the viciousness of the challenge, and it led to a scuffle between the two squads, per Fox Soccer Trax:

Azpilicueta's ejection came with Chelsea leading 1-0 by virtue of a sixth-minute goal from Oscar.

While many teams would crumble after losing such an integral player, ESPN's Jeff Borzello suggested that Chelsea wouldn't miss a beat with the entry of talented left-back Filipe Luis into the match:

It seemed likely that the Blues would have to play a man down for the remainder of the match, but Crystal Palace bailed them out just a few minutes later. Defender Damien Delaney earned his second yellow card of the match in the 43rd minute, which put the two sides on equal terms once again, according to BBC's John Bennett:

Crystal Palace's miscue put Chelsea in great position, as they entered halftime with a 1-0 lead and would not have to enter a defensive shell in the second half.

Where Azpilicueta's red card truly hurts, though, is moving forward. He will be forced to sit out the Blues' Oct. 26 EPL clash with Manchester United although that will give Filipe Luis an opportunity to prove his worth.

According to Chelsea and Ligue 1 reporter Francois Piraux, Luis is elite despite his status as a backup:

Due to Chelsea's insane depth and overall talent level, they should be able to overcome Azpilicueta's absence for the remainder of the Crystal Palace match as well as the clash with United next week.

Not having him in the fold does place more importance on the other defenders avoiding discipline if at all possible, but the Blues shouldn't miss a beat regardless.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.