Last-minute Hakim Ziyech goal gives Chelsea victory at Crystal Palace

Chelsea have developed a useful habit of leaving things until the last minute and it needed a late volley from Hakim Ziyech to snatch a victory that was scarcely deserved.

They may be newly-crowned world champions but Thomas Tuchel would have been more than slightly concerned at the way his side performed for most of this match. Had it not been for Ziyech’s intervention two minutes from time after he had seen an earlier effort disallowed for offside then they would find themselves even more marooned in third place than they already are.

As it is, they can just about claim to still be hanging onto Manchester City and Liverpool’s coat tails. Exactly four weeks had passed since Chelsea’s victory over Tottenham in their last Premier League match, with Tuchel’s side having required extra-time to progress past both Plymouth and Palmeiras in the intervening period.

The latter in Abu Dhabi last week meant their kits proudly sported a new badge signifying their status as World Club champions - an honour that has clearly been welcomed by the German’s superiors at Stamford Bridge. In a rare departure for their manager since his arrival last January, they started with a four-man defence that saw Andreas Christensen deployed at right-back, while there were recalls for Christian Pulisic and Ziyech in attack.

Patrick Vieira also made four changes from Palace’s last match - a drab 0-0 draw at Brentford - but surprisingly chose Wilfried Zaha to lead his forward line and left three centre-forwards on the bench. With loanee Conor Gallagher also ineligible to face his parent club, there was a welcome return in midfield for captain James McArthur after injury and Cheikhou Kouyate, who was given a guard of honour by his Palace team-mates in