GALLAGHER HAUNTS HIS OLD CLUB

CONOR GALLAGHER was cheered onto the pitch by Crystal Palace supporters and then broke their hearts with a stunning 90th-minute winner.

Midfielder Gallagher was given a standing ovation when he entered the fray in the 76th minute in recognition of his fine loan spell here last season.

Fourteen minutes later, he was performing the now standard muted celebration while his team-mates mobbed him after scoring against his old club to earn Graham Potter a victory in his first Premier League game in charge of Chelsea.

Palace surrendered a one-goal lead on their way to defeat and were also on the wrong side of a VAR controversy, salt being rubbed into their wounds when Thiago Silva set up PierreEmerick Aubameyang’s equaliser five minutes after he might have been sent off for a deliberate handball.

Former Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard gave Palace an early lead with a terrific strike and Aubameyang levelled when converting Silva’s knock down on 38 minutes.

Gallagher had the final say. He collected the ball after fellow sub Christian Pulisic drove inside from the left and got a bit fortunate that his first touch went through JeanPhilippe Mateta’s legs.

But there was nothing lucky about Gallagher’s finish, bent perfectly from 25 yards just beyond Vicente Guaita’s grasp and into the top corner.

Potter said: ‘I’m delighted for Conor. It’s a fantastic strike. He has a lot of respect for Crystal Palace as you can see by his reaction but he’s a Chelsea player now and it’s a great goal for us.’

Eagles boss Patrick Vieira said: ‘He deserves it (the reaction from Palace fans) and that just show the type of fans that we have at our club.’