Crystal Palace 1-2 Chelsea: Conor Gallagher hits late winner to earn boss Graham Potter first victory

 

Palace felt Thiago Silva should have been sent off for a deliberate handball five minutes before he set up Chelsea's equaliser

Conor Gallagher returned to Selhurst Park to haunt Crystal Palace with a stunning late winner to give Graham Potter a controversial first victory as Chelsea boss.

Substitute Gallagher, who impressed on loan at Palace last season, curled home a superb right-footed effort to snatch victory for Chelsea with his first goal for the club.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also scored his first Chelsea goal on his Premier League return after Odsonne Edouard had poked Palace into an early lead.

However, there was controversy surrounding Aubameyang's goal as it was set up by Thiago Silva, who Palace felt should have been sent off for a deliberate handball which denied Jordan Ayew a possible goalscoring opportunity.

Palace furious over Silva handball

Gallagher, whose impressive form for Palace last season earned him his England debut, was introduced by Potter in the 76th minute for Kai Havertz.

And with the game seemingly petering out for a draw, the 22-year-old midfielder nutmegged Jean-Philippe Mateta before curling a shot into Vicente Guaita's top corner.

However, while Gallagher returned to break Palace hearts, Eagles supporters will likely direct their ire towards the officials following the decision not to send Silva off.

Just after the half-hour mark, the Chelsea defender appeared to deliberately handle the ball after falling to the ground, denying Ayew a possible goalscoring opportunity.

Referee Chris Kavanagh showed the Brazilian a yellow card, which was upheld following a VAR check, much to the dismay of Palace boss Patrick Vieira - who was booked for his protests - and his players.

Palace's sense of injustice deepened when Silva headed James' long ball into the path of Aubameyang, who produced a smart finish on the half-volley to bring Chelsea level.

Because of the postponement of matches following the death of Queen Elizabeth II - for whom a minute's silence was observed before kick-off - and the international break, neither side had played a Premier League game since 3 September.

And while Chelsea looked settled in possession early on, Palace took the lead with their first attack. Edouard pounced on a loose Wesley Fofana pass and found Ayew on the right. The Ghanaian's dipping cross found Edouard, who stretched to poke the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

With their tails up, the home side - who lost Nathaniel Clyne to a serious-looking injury before half-time - immediately pressed for a second as Kepa turned Eberechi Eze's shot from distance around the post with the Palace attacker firing narrowly wide from the resultant corner.

Wilfried Zaha forced a sharp save from Kepa in the second half but Palace were unable to put the Chelsea defence under enough pressure, before Gallagher popped up to rub salt in the home side's wounds and get Potter off the mark as Blues boss.

Aubameyang marked his Premier League return with a well-taken first-half equaliser for Chelsea

Player of the match

HavertzKai Havertz

Crystal Palace

Squad number22Player nameÉdouard

Squad number11Player nameZaha

Squad number10Player nameEze

Squad number9Player nameJ Ayew

Squad number7Player nameOlise

Squad number6Player nameGuéhi

Squad number2Player nameWard

Squad number13Player nameGuaita

Squad number3Player nameMitchell

Squad number28Player nameDoucouré

Squad number17Player nameClyne

Squad number15Player nameSchlupp

Squad number19Player nameHughes

Squad number5Player nameTomkins

Squad number14Player nameMateta

Chelsea

Squad number29Player nameHavertz

Squad number23Player nameGallagher

Squad number10Player namePulisic

Squad number24Player nameJames

Squad number6Player nameThiago Silva

Squad number21Player nameChilwell

Squad number9Player nameAubameyang

Squad number8Player nameKovacic

Squad number12Player nameLoftus-Cheek

Squad number1Player nameArrizabalaga

Squad number19Player nameMount

Squad number18Player nameBroja

Squad number17Player nameSterling

Squad number33Player nameFofana

Squad number5Player nameJorginho

Line-ups Crystal Palace

Formation 4-3-3

13Guaita

17Clyne2Ward6Guéhi3Mitchell

7Olise28Doucouré10Eze

9J Ayew22Édouard11Zaha

13Guaita

17Clyne Substituted forTomkinsat 43'minutes

2Ward

6Guéhi

3Mitchell

7Olise

28Doucouré Substituted forHughesat 84'minutes

10Eze Substituted forSchluppat 74'minutes

9J Ayew

22ÉdouardBooked at 22mins Substituted forMatetaat 84'minutes

11Zaha

Substitutes

4Milivojevic

5Tomkins

14Mateta

15Schlupp

19Hughes

21Johnstone

23Ebiowei

44Riedewald

45Gordon

Chelsea

Formation 4-2-2-2

1Arrizabalaga

24James33Fofana6Thiago Silva21Chilwell

8Kovacic5Jorginho

29Havertz19Mount

17Sterling9Aubameyang

1Arrizabalaga

24James

33Fofana

6Thiago SilvaBooked at 32mins

21Chilwell

8KovacicBooked at 88mins

5Jorginho Substituted forLoftus-Cheekat 56'minutes

29Havertz Substituted forGallagherat 76'minutes

19MountBooked at 52mins Substituted forPulisicat 84'minutes

17Sterling

9Aubameyang Substituted forBrojaat 75'minutes

Substitutes

10Pulisic

12Loftus-Cheek

13Bettinelli

14Chalobah

18Broja

22Ziyech

23Gallagher

26Koulibaly

28Azpilicueta

Live Text

Match ends, Crystal Palace 1, Chelsea 2.

90'+5'

Second Half ends, Crystal Palace 1, Chelsea 2.

90'+3'

Foul by Raheem Sterling (Chelsea).

90'+3'

Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

90'+2'

Foul by Ben Chilwell (Chelsea).

90'+2'

Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

90'

Goal! Crystal Palace 1, Chelsea 2. Conor Gallagher (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Christian Pulisic.

89'

Armando Broja (Chelsea) wins a free kick on the left wing.

89'

Foul by Joel Ward (Crystal Palace).

88'

Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

88'

Foul by Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea).

88'

Michael Olise (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

86'

Attempt missed. Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Michael Olise with a cross following a corner.

86'

Corner, Crystal Palace. Conceded by Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

85'

Corner, Crystal Palace. Conceded by Raheem Sterling.

84'

Substitution, Crystal Palace. Will Hughes replaces Cheick Oumar Doucouré.

84'

Substitution, Chelsea. Christian Pulisic replaces Mason Mount.

84'

Substitution, Crystal Palace. Jean-Philippe Mateta replaces Odsonne Édouard.

79'

Foul by Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea).

79'

Michael Olise (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick on the right wing.

redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301 redirect 301

Conor Gallagher’s last-minute strike gives Chelsea win at Crystal Palace

At the end the attention inevitably lingered on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s first goal in Chelsea colours, Graham Potter’s substitutions coming off and Conor Gallagher respecting the narrative with a stunning last-minute winner.

All things considered, for all that Potter could not entirely dismiss Crystal Palace’s complaints about Chris Kavanagh’s officiating, it felt better to dwell on the positives. There were pivotal saves from Kepa Arrizabalaga, flashes of class in attack, even a decent cameo from Christian Pulisic. Crucially, too, Thomas Tuchel’s successor had seen his new side roll their sleeves up. Instead of crumbling after going a goal down to Crystal Palace, Chelsea had rallied; victory rarely looked secure, but it was certainly hard-earned.

“It’s nice to get the first win under the belt,” said Potter, who was encouraged after his first league game ended with Gallagher scoring his first goal for Chelsea. “I was delighted for the team.”

Palace saw it differently, though. Their supporters had applauded Gallagher when he came on after 76 minutes. The midfielder’s goal was painful but predictable. Gallagher had excelled on loan at Palace last season, so nobody needed to tell them that he is capable of bending in brilliant goals from 20 yards out.

It was huge for Gallagher, who has struggled since returning to Chelsea, his momentum stymied when he picked up a foolish first-half red card against Leicester two months ago. Yet Palace were livid. They could not understand how Thiago Silva avoided a red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity when Chelsea were 1-0 down. “It’s difficult to understand,” Patrick Vieira, Palace’s manager, said. “The referee gets it wrong. I don’t want to get in trouble.”

Vieira felt that Palace, sitting just above the bottom three, merited a point. A sober analysis would take in how Chelsea created little during the second half. Just as worrying was their defending, with Wesley Fofana at fault for Odsonne Édouard’s opener, and how vulnerable Jorginho looked in midfield until being replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Potter, who had time to think after opening his tenure by drawing with Red Bull Salzburg last month, has to try things out. The emphasis on attack was clear, the fluidity of Chelsea’s 4-2-2-2 system confusing Palace, Raheem Sterling’s movement a constant threat.

Equally it did not take much to break Chelsea’s equilibrium. After seven minutes Palace went ahead, trouble brewing when Fofana played a slack pass out from the back.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates after scoring his first goal for Chelsea. Photograph: David Cliff/AP

If the initial error from the £70m defender was bad, even worse was his reaction as Édouard turned and found Jordan Ayew. Where was the urgency? Ben Chilwell, starting at left-back for the first time since the opening day, backed off and when Ayew crossed Fofana lost Édouard, who beat Arrizabalaga.

Chelsea looked shocked. Palace were rampant for a while. Only two fine saves from Arrizabalaga prevented Eberechi Eze from extending the lead. Yet Palace needed a second goal. With Joachim Andersen injured, Joel Ward partnered Marc Guéhi in central defence and the hosts did not look entirely secure. There were chances for Chelsea, Mason Mount heading wide and Sterling going close.

Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football

Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Yet Chelsea were just as shaky at the back. The flashpoint soon arrived, Silva dithering 40 yards from goal, tumbling to the turf and clawing the ball to impede Ayew. Enough for a red? Kavanagh thought not, cautioning Silva, and Palace seethed when a VAR let the Chelsea defender off.

Inevitably Silva made Chelsea’s equaliser in the 38th minute, rising above Nathaniel Clyne and nodding James’s long ball down to Aubameyang, who spun Ward and produced a cool finish for his first goal since joining from Barcelona.

It was a big moment for Potter, whose job will be much easier if Aubameyang turns out to be the striker capable of coping with the pressure of wearing Chelsea’s No 9 shirt. As for Palace, their mood was hardly helped by Clyne being forced off with a worrying head injury, Silva catching the right-back when he rose to set up Aubameyang.

Yet the goal did not spark an improvement from Chelsea. Wilfried Zaha tested Arrizabalaga with 20 minutes left, forcing Potter to turn to his bench. Palace feared the worst when they saw Gallagher. It soon became clear why when Pulisic linked with Gallagher, whose shot flew past Vicente Guaita and dramatically improved Potter’s mood.

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250610583 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250609756 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250609759 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250610272 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250610273 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250610276 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250610278 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250610593 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250610280 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250610923 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250610282 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250611104 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250611106 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250610598 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250611463 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250611111 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250610933 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250610935 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250611113 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250610937 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250611116 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250611466 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250612724 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250612604 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250612726 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250611471 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250177858 https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/250172577 https://www.endezo-it.com/2022/10/the-dark-event-of-indonesian-football.html https://www.49erssports.com/2022/10/kanjuruhan-tragedy-arema-fc-management.html https://one-piece-red-full-movie-english.webflow.io/ https://documenter.getpostman.com/view/21828632/2s83tJGAat https://theprose.com/post/498415/one-piece-film-red-streaming-red https://mymediads.com/articles/156189 https://mymediads.com/articles/156188 https://yamcode.com/hyuee9h2sj https://bitbin.it/qtnDAOl0/ https://justpaste.me/fPme1 https://pastehere.xyz/acOEzbfGq/