Crystal Palace 1-3 Chelsea: Conor Gallagher scores twice as Blues increase pressure on Roy Hodgson

 Posted on August 28, 2024  |  6 minutes  |  1143 words  |  Chauncey Koziol

Conor Gallagher scored twice as Chelsea came from behind to win at Selhurst Park and increase the pressure on Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson.

The Blues dominated the opening period of the match but it was Palace who took the lead, with Jefferson Lerma picking up the ball on the edge of the area and rifling the ball into the top corner in the 30th minute.

Mauricio Pochettino's side could not muster a shot until the 45th minute as Palace tried to frustrate their opponents and pick up a much-needed win to widen the five-point gap to the relegation zone.

However, it took just two minutes of the second half for the visitors to level as Malo Gusto's bouncing cross was met by Gallagher - who was on loan at Palace in 2021-22 - and he smashed the ball past Dean Henderson.

Chelsea continued to push for a winner and Gallagher secured it in stoppage time with a neat first-time finish, before Enzo Fernandez added a composed finish at the near post to help lift his side to 10th in the table.

Gallagher takes centre stage against former club

Chelsea came into this match on the back of an impressive FA Cup win at Aston Villa and made only the one enforced change with centre-back Thiago Silva coming in for the injured Benoit Badiashile.

The visitors struggled to break down Palace in the first half despite dominating possession and completing 420 passes, the most in the opening 45 minutes of a Premier League game without having a shot on target since the 2003-04 season.

Pochettino's side have struggled to penetrate teams that have defended in a low block this season and found it hard to find ways through Hodgson's stubborn side.

The Chelsea manager made changes at half-time and with Christopher Nkunku coming on and Cole Palmer moving out to the right they seemed to be more fluent in attack.

It was Palmer who slid in a cross from wide to set up Gallagher's second, an excellent, drilled finish into the bottom corner.

The England midfielder has three goals in two games after scoring in the cup at Villa, and will hope that his first league goals of the season kickstart a run of form for him and his team.

Chelsea travel to Manchester City on Saturday before taking on Liverpool in the EFL Cup final and Leeds in the FA Cup, in what will be a crucial two weeks of their season.

Late goals put Hodgson future back under spotlight

Palace came into this match on the back of a damaging defeat to rivals Brighton, with manager Hodgson under increasing pressure amid inconsistent form.

The Eagles defended well in the first period and Gallagher's dragged shot wide was the only chance they had to deal with in the opening 45 minutes.

Hodgson handed first Premier League starts to January deadline day signing Adam Wharton and Brazilian Matheus Franca as he looked to deal with the absence of key men Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze.

It looked as though those changes had worked after Lerma's searing 25-yard strike but conceding just 80 seconds into the second half undid all the good work.

Supporters once again held banners displaying their frustration with the club and after the late goals gave the points to Chelsea the questions about Hodgson's future will only mount.

"I can only hope that the fans are realistic. They know our injury problems and our team selection problems at the moment," Hodgson said.

"They also know there are some young players who are trying to find their way in the game. I would like to think they will take all those things into consideration.

"I don't know what people are thinking and what their attitude is going to be, but I do think that today the team gave their very best and did give the fair-minded supporter a chance to believe in this team and believe in this club as we go forward."

They remain 15th in the table and travel to Everton next Monday, before hosting Burnley.

Player of the match

GallagherConor Gallagher

with an average of 7.89

Crystal Palace

  • Squad number20Player nameA Wharton

    Average rating

    6.32

  • Squad number8Player nameLerma

    Average rating

    5.99

  • Squad number11Player nameMatheus França

    Average rating

    5.83

  • Squad number14Player nameMateta

    Average rating

    5.76

  • Squad number12Player nameMuñoz

    Average rating

    5.73

  • Squad number9Player nameJ Ayew

    Average rating

    5.66

  • Squad number16Player nameAndersen

    Average rating

    5.62

  • Squad number26Player nameRichards

    Average rating

    5.43

  • Squad number19Player nameHughes

    Average rating

    5.38

  • Squad number22Player nameÉdouard

    Average rating

    5.37

  • Squad number3Player nameMitchell

    Average rating

    5.31

  • Squad number29Player nameAhamada

    Average rating

    5.28

  • Squad number30Player nameHenderson

    Average rating

    5.17

    • Chelsea

  • Squad number23Player nameGallagher

    Average rating

    7.89

  • Squad number27Player nameGusto

    Average rating

    7.16

  • Squad number8Player nameFernández

    Average rating

    6.87

  • Squad number28Player namePetrovic

    Average rating

    6.48

  • Squad number26Player nameColwill

    Average rating

    6.47

  • Squad number6Player nameThiago Silva

    Average rating

    6.46

  • Squad number21Player nameChilwell

    Average rating

    6.41

  • Squad number2Player nameDisasi

    Average rating

    6.35

  • Squad number18Player nameNkunku

    Average rating

    6.28

  • Squad number42Player nameGilchrist

    Average rating

    6.24

  • Squad number25Player nameCaicedo

    Average rating

    5.87

  • Squad number15Player nameJackson

    Average rating

    5.71

  • Squad number11Player nameMadueke

    Average rating

    5.47

  • Squad number7Player nameSterling

    Average rating

    5.11

  • Squad number20Player namePalmer

    Average rating

    5.04

    • Line-ups

    Crystal Palace

    Formation 4-1-4-1

    30Henderson

    12Muñoz16Andersen26Richards3Mitchell

    20A Wharton

    9J Ayew19Hughes8Lerma11França de Oliveira

    14Mateta

    • 30Henderson
    • 12MuñozBooked at 80mins
    • 16Andersen
    • 26Richards
    • 3Mitchell
    • 20A Wharton
    • 9J Ayew
    • 19HughesSubstituted forAhamadaat 79'minutes
    • 8LermaBooked at 70mins
    • 11França de OliveiraSubstituted forÉdouardat 84'minutes
    • 14Mateta

    Substitutes

    • 1Johnstone
    • 2Ward
    • 5Tomkins
    • 15Schlupp
    • 17Clyne
    • 22Édouard
    • 29Ahamada
    • 44Riedewald
    • 52Ozoh

    Chelsea

    Formation 4-2-3-1

    28Petrovic

    27Gusto2Disasi6Thiago Silva21Chilwell

    25Caicedo8Fernández

    11Madueke23Gallagher15Jackson

    20Palmer

    • 28Petrovic
    • 27GustoSubstituted forGilchristat 84'minutes
    • 2DisasiBooked at 90mins
    • 6Thiago SilvaSubstituted forColwillat 61'minutes
    • 21Chilwell
    • 25Caicedo
    • 8Fernández
    • 11MaduekeSubstituted forNkunkuat 45'minutes
    • 23Gallagher
    • 15JacksonBooked at 90minsSubstituted forSterlingat 79'minutes
    • 20Palmer

    Substitutes

    • 7Sterling
    • 10Mudryk
    • 14Chalobah
    • 17Chukwuemeka
    • 18Nkunku
    • 26Colwill
    • 31Casadei
    • 42Gilchrist
    • 47Bergström

    Referee:Michael Oliver

    Attendance:25,110

    Match Stats

    Live Text

  • Match ends, Crystal Palace 1, Chelsea 3.

  • Second Half ends, Crystal Palace 1, Chelsea 3.

  • Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Chris Richards.

  • Attempt blocked. Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Moisés Caicedo.

  • Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Naouirou Ahamada.

  • Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card.

  • Goal! Crystal Palace 1, Chelsea 3. Enzo Fernández (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Cole Palmer with a through ball following a fast break.

  • Foul by Conor Gallagher (Chelsea).

  • Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  • Delay over. They are ready to continue.

  • Axel Disasi (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card for excessive celebration.

  • Delay in match because of an injury Levi Colwill (Chelsea).

  • Goal! Crystal Palace 1, Chelsea 2. Conor Gallagher (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Cole Palmer.

  • Attempt saved. Axel Disasi (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Raheem Sterling with a cross.

  • Enzo Fernández (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  • Foul by Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace).

  • Foul by Axel Disasi (Chelsea).

  • Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  • Attempt blocked. Naouirou Ahamada (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Odsonne Édouard.

  • Attempt blocked. Odsonne Édouard (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Adam Wharton.

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