Crystal Palace 1-3 Chelsea: Conor Gallagher inspires Blues to late comeback win over Palace

Chelsea came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 3-1 thanks to added time goals from Conor Gallagher and Enzo Fernandez in the Premier League at Selhurst Park on Monday.

Gallagher put the visitors ahead 2-1 with his second goal of the game, before Fernandez sealed the victory as Chelsea rallied to claim the points that moved them up to 10th place.

The result increases the pressure on Palace manager Roy Hodgson, whose side have not kept a clean sheet in 13 league games. They are 15th with 24 points, five above the drop zone.

It was a tale of two halves for Chelsea, who went into the break trailing after a superb Jefferson Lerma strike on the half-hour put the struggling hosts ahead.

"We saw two different sides. In the first half we were so flat and I was so disappointed. In the second half much better and I am very pleased with how we finished the game," Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino told the BBC.

Gallagher's first goal against the club where he was on loan in 2021-22 came two minutes after the break, when he neatly side-footed Malo Gusto's cross from the right high into the net.

The England midfielder scored again in the 91st minute, this time from the edge of the area, when he slotted Cole Palmer's cross into the bottom corner.

Another Chelsea counterattack, and another Palmer assist, helped the visitors seal the win in the 94th minute through Fernandez.

The third goal "led to an aggravated defeat but I don’t think that's a fair reflection on the way the game was played. I think we deserved to come off with at least one point," said Hodgson.

Lerma put Palace ahead with a spectacular strike from outside the box into the top right corner after Tyrick Mitchell won the ball from Noni Madueke, as Chelsea attempted to recover from Thiago Silva's weak headed clearance.

Chelsea had only one shot off target in the first half, despite controlling nearly 80% of the possession.

The Blues were similarly dominant on the ball after the break, but they were far more aggressive after a lackluster first half in which they posed little threat going forward.

Due to injuries, Hodgson was unable to select his key attacking duo, Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze, who have combined to score 11 of Palace's 27 league goals this season.

Palace's woes were exacerbated by the absence of England defender Marc Guehi, who suffered a knee injury in their 4-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion the previous weekend.

Monday's result comes after Chelsea's 3-1 victory at Aston Villa in their FA Cup fourth round replay last Wednesday. It was also their 13th consecutive league victory over Palace, a club record.

They face champions Manchester City on Saturday, while Palace travel to 18th-placed Everton on Monday.

SportsLigue