"Played with a maturity that justified the role” - Garth Crooks lavishes praise on 23-year-old Chelsea star after win over Fulham

Former Tottenham Hotspur forward Garth Crooks hailed Conor Gallager after he captained Chelsea to a 2-0 win against Fulham at Craven Cottage last night (October 2).

Gallagher was linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge this summer, but the transfer fell through. The 23-year-old central midfielder didn't have the best of seasons last year, scoring just three goals in 45 appearances.

However, he impressed for the Blues against Marco Silva's Fulham. Mykhailo Mudryk (18') and Armando Broja (19') got on the scoresheet to secure all three points for Chelsea.

While he was unable to register a goal contribution, Gallagher shone in the centre of the pitch. He had a pass accuracy of 89%, created one big chance, made five recoveries, and won nine duels.

Crooks lavished praise on the England international on BBC Sport. He said (via HITC):

“Five of his subs had never kicked a ball in the first team before while Mykhailo Mudryk and Armando Broja looked a useful partnership up-front. Thiago Silva and Levi Colwill looked comfortable at the back while Moses Caicedo is clearly going to have an impact on the team."

Crooks added:

“However nothing prepared me for the way Gallagher performed at Craven Cottage. The newly installed Chelsea captain didn’t just cover every blade of grass but also played with a maturity that justified the role.”

Gallagher has made nine appearances in all competitions this season and has been an integral part of Pochettino's system. The Stamford Bridge faithful will be hoping he can maintain his form.

The Blues' win took them from 15th to 11th in the Premier League table with eight points having played seven games. They next face Burnley away from home on October 7.

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Fulham vs Chelsea: Exploring the stats from the Premier League clash

Chelsea got back to winning ways with a comfortable 2-0 win against Fulham on Monday night. Let's take a look at the stats to see how both teams performed.

Even though they lost, Fulham dominated possession, controlling 56% of the ball. They completed 561 passes with an accuracy of 87%. In contrast, Mauricio Pochettino's men had 44% possession and completed 459 passes with an accuracy of 85%.

Chelsea looked more threatening in attack, registering a total of 11 shots, with four being on target. On the other hand, Fulham landed a total of 10 shots, with three on target.