Mauricio Pochettino implored his Chelsea team to enhance their ball control and speed, which led to a stunning turnaround as they triumphed 3-1 against Crystal Palace.
Trailing 1-0 at halftime due to Jefferson Lerma’s remarkable long-range goal, Chelsea swiftly equalized early in the second half through Conor Gallagher’s strike in the 47th minute.
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In the dying moments of the match, Gallagher secured the lead for Chelsea with a goal, igniting jubilant scenes, before Enzo Fernandez sealed the victory with a composed finish.
Speaking after the match, Gallagher conceded the Blues “weren’t good enough in the first half”, but he was happy with their second half response.
“It was a tough win,” he told Sky Sports. “We weren’t good enough in the first half and we had to stick together to get the job done. We are buzzing with the three points.
“He [Pochettino] said stay confident and we need to better and quicker on the ball. They played well. We had to stick together as a team and the early goal helped to settle it. We managed to get a couple at the end.
“The gaffer gave us more structure in their half of the pitch to try and create more chances. It was really good from the manager and helped us play better in the second half. When we scored early we knew we had to go on and win it but it was getting later in the match.
“My calf started cramping up and then to get that goal. It was an amazing feeling and the lads are buzzing.” And Pochettino delivered a similar assessment of the game, admitting his frustration at Chelsea’s lack of consistency.
“We were flat in the first 45 minutes, very disappointing,” he told Sky Sports. “We need to react to the game. We need to avoid that and start a game like this so flat. Maybe there was a foul when we conceded.
“We started the second half really well and we scored. It was a tough game but I’m so pleased. We just want to build our confidence and realise we need to be more consistent.
“We used two strikers in between the centre back and the full back. We put Gusto and Chilwell higher and moved the ball quicker with Enzo in a number 10 role. It helped us score.”
