MY ACCOUNT
Conor Gallagher’s time with Crystal Palace could hardly have gone any better.
On loan from Chelsea, the midfielder has earned his Premier League wings with some fine displays for Patrick Vieira’s Eagles.
But what is behind Gallagher’s standout season at Selhurst Park? And how far away is he from a regular first-team spot at his parent club?
As Palace prepare to take on league leaders Manchester City tonight, we shine a spotlight on their man of the moment.
A rising star
Born in Surrey, Gallagher joined Chelsea at eight years old and progressed through their youth ranks.
He has yet to make his senior debut for the Blues but spent time on loan at Charlton, Swansea and West Brom before his latest move away from the European champions.
And his Palace performances caught the eye of Gareth Southgate, who handed him his first full senior cap in November’s 10-0 World Cup qualifying win over San Marino.
Soaring with the Eagles
Gallagher wasted little time in making his mark at Palace, endearing himself to the Eagles’ faithful by bagging a brilliant brace in only his second Premier League appearance — a 2-2 draw at West Ham.
He has since added another six goals to take him to eight for the season, making him Palace’s second-top scorer behind Wilfried Zaha (nine).
Add his three assists and Gallagher has had a hand in more than a quarter of his side’s league strikes this term.
A key man
Averaging 3.24 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, Gallagher has been a key attacking conduit for Palace. Only Zaha has averaged more at 3.31 per 90.
Known to like dribbling from deeper positions, fouls drawn by Gallagher account for 10.5% of his shot-creating actions. He has also conjured 14 chances himself from set-pieces — 41.1% of his total.
Gallagher is pivotal to Palace’s cause and conspicuous by his absence. The Eagles have picked up 1.3 points per game with him in the side, compared to just 0.8 without.
Proving his importance
Unsurprisingly, Vieira has only had good things to say about Gallagher — noting the 22-year-old’s essential work off the ball.
Speaking last month, he said: “Outside of his energy, it’s about this kind of responsibility that he [Gallagher] has for the defensive transition.
“He is somebody who can win the ball, he is somebody who can press the opposition team and he’s been doing really well and he’s improving as a player.”
Gallagher is not the finished article — and no one would expect him to be yet — but he is already developing into a wonderfully well-rounded operator in the middle of the park.
The next step
Going out on loan is a rite of passage for many young Chelsea players — but few have excelled in their first experience of top-flight football like Gallagher has. So, could he feature in Thomas Tuchel’s plans next season?
The German coach’s opinion of Gallagher appears to be in little doubt. He admitted last year, in no uncertain terms, that he “loves” him.
But with the likes of Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech all still operating at a high level, he could find opportunities limited at Stamford Bridge.
Time is on Gallagher’s side, though, so why not spend another season soaring with the Eagles if it is an option? Palace’s smitten supporters certainly would not complain about that outcome.
