Andy Townsend was really impressed by Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher after watching his performance yesterday against Fulham.
With Reece James and Ben Chilwell both absent through injury, Conor Gallagher once again captained Chelsea on Monday night during their short trip across West London.
The Blues picked up a vital three points in the Premier League with their 2-0 win against Fulham at Craven Cottage. Mykhailo Mudryk and Armando Broja both scored in a well-deserved victory.
Now, Mauricio Pochettino’s side will try to back that up with a trip to Burnley this Saturday afternoon in the league.
TalkSPORT pundit Andy Townsend really liked the display from Gallagher against Fulham. In particular, he felt that the midfielder’s output on the ball was much better than usual and he looked a class above.
“I thought Conor Gallagher was man of the match,” Townsend told talkSPORT.
“… Normally he’s that charging and rampaging type getting on the edge of the box, which he can do very naturally and very well. Last night as well, I thought he really knitted things over nicely and together with Enzo [Fernandez] and [Moises] Caicedo in the middle of the park. As a three, they totally bossed the game.
“Really good performance from him. I thought he was their best player.”
In our view, the tactical tweak involving Gallagher certainly paid off for Pochettino.
The England international played as the more advanced from a midfield trio also featuring Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo. It’s a contrast from earlier in the season where he’s played a bit deeper.
Journalist Simon Phillips reported via his Substack last week that Chelsea may be prepared to listen to offers in January to sell Gallagher. However, he certainly looks like a big part of what Pochettino is trying to do right now with this team.
There’s no doubt that Gallagher is really thriving and stepping up with the extra responsibility of wearing the captain’s armband.
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