Conor Gallagher netted two goals to condemn Crystal Palace, his previous team, to a detrimental 3-1 loss on Monday. This victory ensures that Chelsea remains in contention for European football in the upcoming season.
Conor Gallagher netted two goals to condemn Crystal Palace, his previous team, to a detrimental 3-1 loss on Monday, thereby keeping Chelsea in contention for European football in the upcoming season. Despite the injury-plagued Eagles initially leading the match with Jefferson Lerma’s long-range goal, their hopes for a significant victory in the Premier League were dashed as Gallagher swiftly equalized within two minutes of the second half. Palace’s struggles continue, having only secured three victories in their last 19 games.
Gallagher netted his second goal of the evening, while Enzo Fernandez sealed the deal in stoppage time, propelling Chelsea to the 10th position and closing the gap to seventh by just two points.
Despite the defeat, Crystal Palace remains a mere five points above the relegation zone, currently occupying the 15th spot.
Roy Hodgson, the beleaguered manager of Palace, expressed his disappointment, stating, “It was incredibly harsh, but the essence of the game lies in scoring goals, and unfortunately, our mistakes resulted in conceding goals.”
The home team suffered greatly due to significant injuries, as their star players Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise, and Marc Guehi were all sidelined.
Both Hodgson and the club’s board are facing criticism from the fans, evident through banners displayed before the match, which criticized the “feeble club culture” and “ineffective transfer policy.”
However, Palace managed to hold their ground during the first half, despite Chelsea’s lackluster performance away from home.
“We had a sluggish start, lacking the necessary intensity. The initial 45 minutes were truly challenging,” remarked Mauricio Pochettino, the Chelsea manager.
In the second half, we began the game on a positive note, scoring the equalizer and giving us the opportunity to control the match.
Silva setback
Chelsea faced a setback in their match against Crystal Palace. It wasn’t until the first-half stoppage time that Chelsea managed to register a shot, but Gallagher’s effort went wide. However, Palace failed to take this as a warning. The start of the second half was delayed as the referee, Michael Oliver, had to fix his communication device with his assistants and VAR.
When the game resumed, Palace was caught off guard as Gallagher, who had a successful loan spell at Palace in the 2021/22 season, scored a goal from Malo Gusto’s cross. Unfortunately for Chelsea, they suffered another setback when Thiago Silva had to be substituted due to a groin injury. This injury is likely to keep him out of the League Cup final against Liverpool later this month.
Despite these setbacks, Chelsea can take some confidence from their late comeback in this match. They will now face a challenging trip to Manchester City on Saturday. Cole Palmer, who was kept quiet for most of the game by Palace, proved to be decisive in stoppage time with two assists. He set up Gallagher for his third goal in two games, and then freed Fernandez for another goal as Chelsea swiftly counter-attacked.
Overall, Chelsea’s late show secured them all three points and they will look to carry this renewed confidence into their upcoming matches.
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