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Graham Potter thinks Chelsea substitute was ‘fantastic’ in win against Leicester

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Graham Potter singled out Conor Gallagher for big praise after his Chelsea performance in the win against Leicester City.

Chelsea showed on Saturday afternoon they’ve turned a corner by securing a 3-1 victory at the King Power Stadium.

The Blues followed up wins over Leeds United and Borussia Dortmund by earning three league points on their trip to the East Midlands this weekend.

Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz, and Mateo Kovacic all scored for a visiting side that is beginning to find its shooting boots. Incidentally, Havertz’s volley was the pick of the bunch, with Paul Merson calling it “Bergkamp-esque”.

Leicester City v Chelsea FC - Premier League
Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Chelsea’s head coach discussed the half-time substitution that saw Gallagher replace Joao Felix.

Potter explained the decision to add an extra midfielder to the pitch, and he was delighted with his substitute’s impact in the second half.

“I felt we needed someone who could ball win, a different profile and I thought Conor was fantastic,” Potter said, as quoted by Football London.

Leicester City v Chelsea FC - Premier League
Photo by Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Gallagher came off the bench for a third straight came today, this time getting 45 minutes at Leicester.

We are pretty sure the £50,000-a-week midfielder would much rather be starting, but it’s quite obvious Potter has started to really trust him as an impact substitute.

He provided the energy and legs to keep the Blues fresh during a gruelling contest. Also, he provided a vital goal-line clearance for his side.

He might not be as high up Potter’s pecking order as he wants to be, but it is clear he’s definitely a big part of his thoughts.

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