Conor Gallagher was an absolute machine on Thursday night against Tottenham, and it’s no surprise that all eyes were on him.
It was all set up for him – his banner went around the stadium before kick off, and it seemed to inspire him to action. He was a fearsome in the tackle and quality on the ball. His tempo helped Chelsea take over the game in the first half an hour. It felt like one of those games with two fragile teams which would be decided by who could seize the initiative, and Havertz did just that.
There was a moment in the second half where he single-handed pressed two defenders and the goalkeeper at once, flitting back and forth between the three of them to keep them under pressure.
His excellent delivery also assisted the opening goal for Trevoh Chalobah. Once again paired with Moises Caicedo in a deep lying pair, the duo were roving destroyers breaking up Spurs attack. Chelsea’s “up close” feature shows everything from inside the stadium, including the midfielder’s funny reaction to Cole Palmer’s free kick which hit the bar and Nicolas Jackson’s follow up header.
You can see the moment in the clip embedded here, with this coming just before 6 minutes:
Spurs watch jealously
It’s been a great season for Gallagher overall, and it was inevitable that he would save one of his best performances for the game against the team he’s endlessly linked with for a summer move.
If Spurs were ever looking for a sample of what they might get, they got it on Thursday. While their midfield was sloppy and passive, Gallagher was the total opposite. Ange Postecoglu changed as many players as he could in the middle to try and spark some life into his anxious team – how he must have wished that he had Gallagher to call on.
Such poor proofreading (or not) AGAIN. You do know that Havertz has not played for Chelsea for some time now don’t you ?