Yesterday we wrote about Cole Palmer, and how he is the runaway leader in terms of who is favourite to be named Chelsea player of the year. He’s produced great performances, lots of entertainment, and a huge haul of goals and assists.
There are others who have had good seasons, but how many can still really said to be in the race to actually catch Cole?
We would argue only one player – Conor Gallagher.
Much like Palmer, he’s managed to look good and impress the fans even when the team has really been at its worst. He’s worn the armband on many occasions and done it proud. He doesn’t end games with a highlight reel of flicks and tricks like his colleague, but he is an incredibly effective performer in the middle of the pitch, covering huge distances and putting his body on the line.
The fact that the club tried so hard to sell him, yet he just kept his head down and kept working speaks volumes about his character. The manager clearly loves him, as do the fans. As a home grown player, he has a special place in their hearts, and he clearly loves playing for us.
His stats for tackles, interceptions and clearances are up there with most centre backs, and his ability to keep running means the whole team’s press relies on him at times.
We’re not sure what he could do to overtake Cole and win the award, but there’s plenty of season left to play. For all his good performances, it’s taken him until this month to score a goal. He will need to pick up a few more of those if he wants to close the gap on the runaway leader in this competition.
His brace against Crystal Palace last Monday night won us that game, in a match where Palmer and his fellow attackers were extremely quiet. Less than a week before that, he got his first goal to open the scoring against Aston Villa in the FA Cup Fourth Round.
A few more big goals like that and he will be really in the mix. Sunday’s game against Liverpool would be the perfect place to make his name in a major final (don’t forget, Carabao Cup Final Tickets are still available).
But what we all know is that even if he doesn’t score, and even if Chelsea don’t play well, Conor will give it his all and come away with plenty of credit.
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