After an uplifting FA Cup victory over Aston Villa last Wednesday, Chelsea fans will have had an unpleasant feeling of normal business being resumed at Selhurst Park on Monday night. Mauricio Pochettino's side looked woefully disjointed for most of the contest, but floppy-haired salvation eventually came in the form of Conor Gallagher, whose excellent second-half brace helped his side secure a desperately-needed 3-1 victory.
Chelsea's attempts to pass Palace to death in the first half were abruptly ended on the half-hour mark when Jefferson Lerma pounced on some scruffy play from Noni Madueke and unleashed an unstoppable effort into the top corner. The Blues' reaction was non-existent before the break, with Gallagher's dragged shot on the stroke of half time representing their only effort on goal.
But an extended interval - due to referee Michael Oliver enduring some technical difficulties - sparked the visitors into life. Just 81 seconds into the second half Gallagher latched onto Malo Gusto's cross and fired a controlled finish past Dean Henderson in the Palace goal.
Chelsea continued to improve in the second half, but it took until stoppage time for them to get the game won. First, Gallagher stroked home Cole Palmer's cutback from the edge of the box. Then, Enzo Fernandez made sure of the three points shortly before the final whistle, picking his moment perfectly to lift the ball into the roof of the net from inside the box.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Selhurst Park...
