Chelsea wins late thanks to Conor Gallagher haunting Crystal Palace

This must have hit Roy Hodgson hard. Crystal Palace lost their 13th straight Premier League encounter to Chelsea in Mauricio Pochettino’s 200th match when Conor Gallagher scored twice to complete a late comeback.

The worst setback for a boss whose squad has struggled with injuries and a two-win streak in 14 matches this season.

Hodgson’s under-pressure team will travel to Everton, a club they haven’t beaten in seven attempts and are currently in the final relegation spot, but Pochettino’s team won in stoppage time with a third from Enzo Fernández.

That completed an incredible comeback following a first half in which Chelsea had no shots on target despite dominating the ball and losing the opening goal to Jefferson Lerma’s thunderbolt.

At least they can count on Gallagher, who scored eight times when on loan at Palace and has four in six versus them.

Hodgson called Palace’s situation “the toughest period of my career for one reason, and that is that the fans have turned so much against us”.

So home fans holding banners before the start of the game, one of which criticized “weak club culture and direction,” wasn’t what he needed.

The 76-year-old has been criticized for not giving Palace’s young players a chance, but Matheus França and Adam Wharton’s full debuts showed their fighting spirit and won over the audience.

Pochettino started Cole Palmer as a false 9 with Nicolas Jackson on the left flank and Gallagher back at the ground where he had such success on loan two seasons ago. On a cold night in south London, Chelsea’s spluttering attack didn’t appear to change.

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On his first complete start since joining from Blackburn, Wharton delivered a raking ball that almost found Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise have scored or created 13 of Palace’s 26 league goals this season. After stealing the ball from Axel Disasi after a Chelsea throw-in, the French striker shot directly at Djordje Petrovic.

This game needed a lift, and Lerma delivered. Tyrick Mitchell’s resilience after a fantastic double tackle on Noni Madueke and Moisés Caicedo made it possible, although Chelsea were upset because Lerma fouled the Ecuador player before he scored from 25 yards away.

After a losing streak that dates back to Wilfried Zaha’s 2-1 win over their London rivals in October 2017, Selhurst Park celebrated in a rare occasion.

His days are gone, but Palace remained a threat as a dissatisfied Pochettino watched his side create little.

By halftime, Gallagher had skewed wide one shot from almost 80% possession. It could have been worse for Chelsea if referee Michael Oliver had ruled against Thiago Silva for pushing Daniel Muñoz over in the area.

After Oliver’s technical troubles delayed the second half, both sets of fans sang Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds. Gallagher scored inside 90 seconds to equalize at Malo Gusto’s cross, reviving Chelsea. In some way.

Chelsea’s half-time substitute Christopher Nkunku gave them renewed attacking intent as Palmer diverted another Gusto cross wide. After a late lunge from Silva, Mateta’s França through pass was blocked, ending his night.

Palmer couldn’t beat Dean Henderson from a tight angle after a wonderful interplay with Gusto, and Petrovic had to tip França’s attempt from outside his area around his post.

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Mateta went down under a Levi Colwill challenge late on and was denied a penalty, but Gallagher struck with his hammer stroke from Palmer’s ball in the opening minute of stoppage time and Fernández sent Chelsea’s fans wild.

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