Eberechi Eze looked as though he said his goodbyes to the Crystal Palace fans at Stamford Bridge after being denied what might have been the perfect farewell by a little-known rule.

A pair of trophy-toting Londoners meet Sunday when Chelsea welcome Crystal Palace to Stamford Bridge. The hosts won the Club World Cup this summer, giving manager Enzo Maresca and all of Chelsea’s supporters reason to believe their team could be back in competition for a Premier League title.

Referee England overturned his on-field decision, but explained that the free-kick was ruled out because Guéhi, after successfully shifting Caicedo, had moved to within a metre of the Chelsea wall, which is an infringement in itself. The goal wasn’t ruled out because of the Palace captain’s contact with the Ecuadorian.

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have been handed a major transfer blow in their pursuit of Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze - who has agreed a deal with Spurs