We returned to Premier League action after Club World Cup and FA Cup football earlier this month, and ahead of a Champions League game against Lille and then next weekend’s Carabao Cup final. Christensen feels Chelsea are responding to that challenge by grinding out victories, not least the hard-fought one in south London yesterday.

‘At the moment we’re fighting, we’re scraping points, and sometimes you need that,’ said the Dane.

‘We prepare well game to game, it’s a little bit mentally draining, but we recover as quickly as possible. Everyone has their heads on right. We are still in every tournament possible so there are a lot of games. I think we’re doing a good job.

‘It was a very difficult game,’ added Andreas of the win at Palace.

‘It feels like it’s been a while since we played Premier League, and it’s always a fight here. The atmosphere is good. We knew we had to be patient and we’re happy the goal came in the end.

‘The circumstances were difficult, the wind, the pitch, made it almost impossible to play pretty football, so it was a bit of a hectic game, but we’re pleased to take away the three points.’

It was Hakim Ziyech who earned us those points with a dramatic late winner - his third Premier League goal in as many games – and Christensen hailed the impact the Moroccan is having right now.

‘He deserves it. he works hard. I felt a little bit for him when the first goal got taken away, and you wonder if it’s going to happen, but he deserves it.

‘He’s very important for us especially when he scores our goals.’