Gallagher nets winner but earns Palace fans' respect

LONDON - Conor Gallagher said that it was all "written in the stars" that his first goal for Chelsea, a sumptuous winner in the dying moments of Saturday's Premier League clash, came against Crystal Palace - the club he played for on loan last season and whose fans applauded him off the pitch.

"It was crazy, to be honest. Of course I was dying to get on the pitch," said the 22-year-old midfielder, who came off the bench to seal the 2-1 comeback win in the 90th minute at Selhurst Park .

"Thankfully I got the chance to get a shot off and it went in which, you know, it had to come against Crystal Palace. It was written in the stars. Unfortunately, it came against Palace."

With the game heading for a 1-1 draw - Odsonne Edouard had put Palace ahead before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang equalised with his first goal for the Blues - Gallagher received a pass from fellow substitute Christian Pulisic and curled a shot into the top corner.

"I loved my time here and the fans have been brilliant. They clapped me after the game, after I'd just scored," he added.

"I am buzzing with the three points and buzzing with my first goal for Chelsea, and hopefully it's time to kick on from here."

Gallagher scored eight times across all competitions in 36 appearances for Palace during a loan spell which saw him voted the club's player of the 2021-22 season.

The home fans warmly applauded him before Saturday's game, as well as after it, and appreciated Gallagher for not celebrating his goal in front of them.

"We're delighted with Conor's fantastic strike," said a relieved Graham Potter, Chelsea's new manager who was able to mark his first Premier League match in charge of the Blues since taking over from Thomas Tuchel with a win.

"He has a lot of respect for Palace as you can see from his reaction but he's a Chelsea player now."

Potter's men have 13 points, eight fewer than leaders Arsenal.

Palace manager Patrick Vieira had mixed feelings about the goal.

"We should not concede. We shouldn't allow him to take that chance because we had enough people around the ball to stop him taking that chance," he said.

He also disagreed with the decision by referee Chris Kavanagh, backed up by VAR, not to send off Chelsea defender Thiago Silva for denying Jordan Ayew a run on goal by handling the ball.

Silva was shown a yellow card and a few minutes later the Brazilian set up Aubameyang to equalise in the first half.

REUTERS, AFP