He presses so aggressively, and he loves getting after people, making tackles. His work-rate is unreal, he puts his foot in for tackles and he can also see a pass".Īnd Johnnie Jackson, a member of Bowyer’s coaching staff at Charlton, said: “He enjoys the graft. His manager at Charlton, Lee Bowyer, a decent midfielder in his time, described him as "an all-round midfielder. I can play deeper, and I can play attacking as well. Gallagher has said as much himself: “My best position is as a box-to-box midfielder. His game is built around bursting from one penalty box to the other and then making the crucial impact when he gets there something he showed against Man City to great effect. Gallagher can offer something that none of them appear to be able to do and that is score goals.īut more than that, Gallagher appears to be a genuine box-to-box midfielder. Mateo Kovacic has also had an outstanding season so far and is an established international player. I believe that Gallagher can solve a key issue in an otherwise flawless Chelsea side at the moment.Ĭhelsea’s midfield is undoubtedly world class with Jorginho and N’Golo Kante. No doubt his fellow Cobham graduate James would have something to say about that. There is a case to be made that he has been Chelsea’s best performer this season, even though he hasn’t yet kicked a ball for the side so far. Little surprise then that he has won back-to-back player of the month awards this season. Since Palace were promoted in 2013, no player has scored goals and made assists at a faster rate. He has also conceded the most fouls, evidence that he takes his defensive responsibilities seriously too. Thus far he has scored four goals and two assists: one goal and an assist against Manchester City in Palace’s stunning 2-0 win at the Etihad and two goals in Palace’s impressive 2-2 draw away to West Ham, a team challenging for top four this season.Īt Palace this season he leads the way in chances created, goals, assists and shots.
The Telegraph described him as 'one of the Premier League's most vibrant talents' and his performances while on loan at Crystal Palace this season have been outstanding.