After being crowned world champions under the desert sun, Chelsea’s short trip through the storm to south London threatened to leave them drenched in reality. For 89 minutes, a fairly miserable performance was mired in familiar problems as Thomas Tuchel’s attack toiled in vain and Romelu Lukaku’s presence wavered between inhibiting or anonymous. But just as the clock was about to bleed into the red of stoppage time, Hakim Ziyech’s deft volley at the far post rescued all three points for Chelsea and prevented them from being plunged deeper into a top-four battle.
It was hardly what Patrick Vieira’s side had deserved but there can be few cries of injustice. They might have taken the lead through Wilfried Zaha themselves in the first half and the winger almost snatched a dramatic equaliser too, but he was left crouched against the turf at Selhurst Park in despair at full-time amid what has become a pattern of Palace playing well but failing to reap any reward. They have now won just two of their last 14 league games and urgently need an added edge to arrest that momentum.
