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Chelsea left it late to beat Crystal Palace on Saturday and maintain a slim hope of catching league leaders Man City.

Hakim Ziyech's 89th-minute winner secured all three points in the Blues' return to Premier League action after winning the FIFA Club World Cup.

A scorer out in the United Arab Emirates, striker Romelu Lukaku returned to England and had an off afternoon with only seven touches throughout the game and was sent a message by coach Thomas Tuchel which absolved the formation of any blame as to why the striker was poor.

With time running out to close the gap to City and second-placed Liverpool, the next few games will be crucial and the fixtures have been compared to see who has an advantage over the next few weeks.

Romelu Lukaku was unable to stamp his authority on Saturday's game against Crystal Palace.

In fact, the striker had only seven touches throughout the game as the Blues went on to win 1-0.

Coach Tuchel dismissed the idea that the formation deployed at Selhurst Park played a contributing factor towards the Belgian's poor game.

Speaking to beIN SPORTS, he said: "We always attack in a 4-1, it’s just for the build-up sometimes we build-up in a 3-2 and sometimes in a 4-1. For him it changed nothing."

Read the full story here.

Lukaku's low-touch display on the road wasn't all his fault, according to .