Why Gallagher is one of the first names on the Chelsea teamsheet

 

Chelsea's first choice central midfield trio this season set them back in excess of £200m. Mauricio Pochettino has routinely called upon Moises Caicedo following his protracted transfer from Brighton, Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher and it's a midfield combination that has worked well. What's ironic is that their best performing central midfielder is one who didn't cost them a penny. 

 

Gallagher was heavily linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge over the summer. Premier League rivals Tottenham were monitoring his situation closely as they sought to upgrade in midfield, yet as deadine day came and went; Gallagher remained a Chelsea player. The west London side must be thankful to have retained the England international's services, not only to boost their homegrown quota but largely in part because the 23-year-old has since established himself as a key player for the Blues. 

 

Things could have been so different for both player and club too. Moises Caicedo wasn't the only big name central midfield arrival at Stamford Bridge over the summer with Romeo Lavia joining from Southampton but injury has delayed the Belgian's debut and increased the importance of Gallagher in the Chelsea midfield. However, if there was pressure on the England international to succeed alongside his big-money teammates, then he hasn't shown it. 

 

With the dreaded international break on the cusp of drawing to a close, Gallagher and his Chelsea teammates return to league duties with the youth academy product having earned a better WhoScored rating (7.17) than any other player for Pochettino's side. Few could have foreseen Gallagher featuring in so many Chelsea games this season let alone shine in the way he has. 

 

What's most important is that there finally feels like a role for Gallagher in this Chelsea side. He's not a number 10, nor can he operate as one of the two at the base of a midfield, however in previous regimes the youngster was often pigeon holed into one of two midfield positions and fans were understandably frustrated at his lack of impact in the middle of the park. In recent gameweeks, though, Pochettino has used a 4-3-3 system, with Gallagher lining up alongside Fernandez and Caicedo in midfield. 

 

As such, Gallagher has been managed properly to play a number eight role. He gets forward to support the offensive, yet has the defensive awareness to play his part in shielding the backline. It's no coincidence that his best rated league season prior to the current campaign was in 2021/22 where he spent the campaign on loan at Crystal Palace. At Selhurst Park, Gallagher was used in a similar fashion to the way Pochettino is now, so it's no coincidence that the player is excelling. 

 

 

With the freedom to get forward to support the offensive, Gallagher isn't necessarily creating for others, but rather using his hard work off the ball to force opponents into mistakes that can be capitalised upon by the Blues' frontline. Indeed, no player has won possession in the attacking third more times than Gallagher (13) in the Premier League this season, while only Luton's Marvelous Nakamba (43) has made more tackles and interceptions combined than the Chelsea star (40). 

 

Once he does win the ball, Gallagher may not pry apart defences in the same manner as a conventional number 10 yet is prepared to get the ball forward. 93 forward passes is the sixth most of all Chelsea players in the Premier League this season. Exclude goalkeepers and defenders, and that rises to second, with Fernandez (165) the only player ahead of Gallagher. The Argentine does operate deeper, however, so it isn't a shock to see the 2022 World Cup winner trump his Chelsea teammate here. 

 

And now with Pochettino settling on a four-man defence, it's a system that looks to be playing to the strengths of the players at his disposal, with his first choice midfield offering the desired combative work rate that means Chelsea have become increasingly difficult to bypass. Gallagher may have become one of the first names on the teamsheet by circumstance given the club's injury issues over the summer, and yet now few at the club can imagine life without the midfielder in the ranks. 

 

A clear positive impact of his performances is evident in that Gallagher is now the club's third captain behind defenders Reece James and Ben Chilwell. Given the respective full-back pair's injury issues, Gallagher has since captained the Blues in four of their eight league matches in what was a huge show of faith in the player following a summer of speculation linking him with a move away from the capital. 

 

It's been a huge turn in fortunes for the player, who some at the club would have sold a matter of months ago. In truth, Gallagher has gone from not quite a zero but he's very much a hero at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea look to build upon their two-game winning run prior to the international break when they face Arsenal on Saturday.

Why Gallagher is one of the first names on the Chelsea teamsheet