Conor Gallagher sealed a last-gasp comeback 2-1 win for Chelsea at Crystal Palace, sinking the club he played for on loan last season with a glorious curling shot in Graham Potter’s first Premier League game in charge of the Blues.
Gallagher, given a warm reception by the home fans in the pre-match warm-up, received a ball from fellow substitute Christian Pulisic, created a yard of space for himself and then bent the ball around Vicente Guaita in the Palace goal.
Earlier, Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang had seized on a headed pass by Thiago Silva to score his first goal for Chelsea in the 38th minute and level the match after Odsonne Edouard had given the Eagles the lead in the seventh minute.
Palace were incensed that referee Chris Kavanagh had given Silva only a yellow card for denying Jordan Ayew a run on goal by handling a few minutes before the Brazilian set up Aubameyang for his goal. Manager Patrick Vieira was shown a yellow card for remonstrating with Kavanagh over his decision not to give Silva a red card.
Graham Potter’s first Premier League match in charge of Chelsea offered a vision of a shapeshifting future.
The Blues responded to their new manager’s tactical interventions to overcome a tricky test against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Conor Gallagher proved a ‘super-sub’ against his former club, refusing to celebrate a 25-yard, last-minute winner after such a successful loan spell under Patrick Vieira last season.
His first Chelsea goal in Potter’s maiden league game papered over a few cracks in his team’s performance despite Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s similarly stunning equaliser after Palace had opened the scoring through Odsonne Edouard.
Now handling world-class players at Chelsea, Potter continued to show the values that got him into such a sought-after managerial post.
Graham Potter admitted Chelsea could easily have been reduced to ten men against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Thiago Silva was caught on the ball and went to ground, deliberately handling the ball to stop Jordan Ayew breaking away clean through on goal. The centre-back was shown a yellow card and although a VAR review followed, no further punishment came.
“I thought it was touch and go,” Potter told BBC Sport.
“The fact he was quite far from the goal saved him and it could’ve gone the other way. It’s a close one, I can understand Patrick [Vieira’s] frustration. It’s a 50-50 one.”
