Hakim Ziyech clinches late win for Thomas Tuchel's 'exhausted' world champions News

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Hakim Ziyech clinches late win for Thomas Tuchel's 'exhausted' world champions

By Daily Sports Nigeria on February 20, 2022

Hakim Ziyech's volley in the 89th-minute snatched a late 1-0 win for newly-crowned world champions Chelsea at Crystal Palace.

The game looked destined to end goalless but the Blues made it nine wins on the bounce against Palace after substitute Marcos Alonso's cross found Ziyech free at the back post to strengthen Chelsea's hold on third spot.

Thomas Tuchel's side move seven points clear of fourth-placed Manchester United, who have the chance to close that gap when they play Leeds on Sunday

Tuchel felt Chelsea were at a disadvantage, having travelled from Abu Dhabi for the Club World Cup, and says his players are "a bit exhausted" ahead of Tuesday's Champions League tie against Lille.

"We came from 30 degrees heat and had six players with a cold from the air conditioning on the plane, guys coming from the jet lag that they had in Abu Dhabi," Tuchel said, after his side claimed back-to-back league wins for the first time since October.

"There was no player who slept well in Abu Dhabi because of the temperature and the time difference."

Ziyech thought he had scored for Chelsea 15 minutes before his winning goal, finishing from close-range after Romelu Lukaku's parried effort fell for him in the area only for VAR to show the Belgium striker to be offside.

Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech (right) celebrates scoring, but his goal is ruled out by VAR Hakim Ziyech Celebrating his goal before VAR cancels it for offside

Wilfried Zaha had two big chances - one to open the scoring at the end of the first half and the other to equalise deep in the second - but fired both opportunities wide as Palace's wait for a first league win of the year goes on.

Chelsea came close through Christian Pulisic and N'Golo Kante in the first half, but their finishing let them down. Pulisic hit a sliding effort over the bar, while Kante fired it straight at Palace goalkeeper Vincente Guaita after being played through on goal by Malang Sarr.

Defender Antonio Rudiger also nearly put Chelsea in front, his 35-yard effort destined for the top corner, before a diving save from Guaita, who came off at half-time with a knee injury.

Source Sky Sports

Posted February 20, 2022