Conor Gallagher and Enzo Fernandez scored late goals to help Chelsea defeat Crystal Palace 3-1 away at Selhurst Park on Monday evening. Chelsea trailed to a goal from Jefferson Lerma, but Gallagher scored twice, once at the start of the second half and again at the end, to give the squad a significant win and relieve some of the building pressure on Blues manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Connor Gallagher led a late comeback as Chelsea defeated Crystal Palace 3-1 at Selhurst Park.
A subdued Chelsea struggled to break down a well-organised Palace side in the first half, with Roy Hodgson's team relying heavily on the counter-attack and causing numerous issues.
Palace led at halftime thanks to Jefferson Lerma's magnificent long-range strike, but Chelsea equalised moments later during a half-time break as referee Michael Oliver's technical equipment was repaired, with an unmarked Gallagher finishing superbly in the area.
And the much-improved visitors sealed the victory at the death when Cole Palmer found Gallagher on the edge of the area to slam in his second goal.
Chelsea still had time to add salt to the wounds as Palace fans flooded out, with Enzo Fernandez coolly converting after another late attack.
Chelsea moves into the top half of the Premier League with the win, while Palace remains in 15th place, five points above the relegation zone.
TALKING POINT: ROY HODGSON DESERVES CREDIT.
Crystal Palace's tactics were straightforward: defend deep in banks and attack Chelsea as quickly as possible on the break.
But Hodgson's strategy almost paid off, with Jean-Philippe Mateta doing an excellent job up top to ensure the counter-attacking threat was always present.
Palace might have easily taken something from this game, and Hodgson deserves credit for a performance that demonstrated attacking promise even without his best players Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: CONOR GALLAGHER (CHELSEA)
Chelsea's performance was far from perfect, but Gallagher was superb, especially in the second half, when he ran the game in his advanced central midfield position.
And the former Crystal Palace player made all the difference on the night, scoring twice to secure all three points at the venue he briefly called home a few years ago.
Player Ratings
Crystal Palace:
Henderson 7; Muñoz 6, Andersen (C) 7, Richards 7, Mitchell 7; Lerma 8, Wharton 7; Ayew 7, Hughes 7, Matheus França 8; Mateta 8. Subs: Ahamada 6; Edouard 7.
Chelsea:
Petrovic 6; Gusto 6, Disasi 7, Thiago Silva 6, Chilwell (captain) 6; Caicedo 7, Fernández 7; Jackson 6, Gallagher 8, Madueke 5; Palmer 7. Substitutes: Nkunku 6, Sterling 7, Gilchrist 6.
Match Highlights:
30' - Goal! CRYSTAL PALACE 1-0 CHELSEA (LERMA).
Oh, such a goal! Mateta is back in the midst of the action, crossing directly into the mixing after the palace break. Chelsea scrambles the ball away, but Palace recovers possession through Mitchell and Lerma, the latter with enough room to line up a long-range shot that soars into the top corner. That's a perfect game, and Palace leads. 1-0!
47' - GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-1 Chelsea (Gallagher)
That did not take long! Chelsea carves open Palace, sending massive numbers into the area, and Gallagher meets a cross in space and finishes brilliantly against the team where he excelled on loan. 1-1!
90' - GOAL! Crystal Palace, 1-2 Chelsea (Gallagher)
Gallagher got it! Chelsea has a rare opportunity to break down Palace, and Palmer does well to lift his head up on the right flank and find Gallagher on the outskirts of the box, who sweeps his shot home first time with an almost Lampard-like effort. Chelsea wins 2-1!
94' - GOAL! Crystal Palace 1-3, Chelsea (Enzo)
That is the game! Chelsea break as Palace rush forward in search of an equaliser. Palmer pushes the ball forward again and finds Enzo, who sits the defender down before looking the keeper in the eyes and finishing with flair. 3-1, game over.
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