Conor Gallagher Chelsea winner hands AC Milan…

Conor Gallagher Chelsea winner hands AC Milan challenge to Graham Potter's forgotten man

With one magical swipe of his right boot Conor Gallagher might have changed the course of his Chelsea career. As hyperbolic as that may sound given it was only one goal, one moment that may be lost in the cluster of upcoming tests, it was the boldest of all statements to showcase his quality to a new coach.

Ironically at the ground he produced a similar stunning strike from distance down the other end, the 22-year-old has given evidence the quality he provided for Crystal Palace last season was not a fluke, nor was it impossible to translate to the higher level of Chelsea.

August must feel like a distant memory when he looked lost at Elland Road, rash against Leicester as he was shown a second yellow or was berated on the touchline by Thomas Tuchel for wayward passes against West Ham.

This one moment of inspiration swatted away those setbacks in an instant. There will need to be consistency now from Gallagher, but this was the perfect boost for his career, given how this season could play out with stiff competition in central midfield.

"I really like Conor. He’s a fantastic kid and he’s desperate to do well, to play for this club, to be successful at Chelsea”. Graham Potter said of his super-sub after Saturday's memorable winner. “I hope it’s just the start of a very successful Chelsea career".

Although he did not celebrate in respect to the club that aided his development on loan so greatly last season, this was a moment of hopefully greater significance in which someone on the fringes looked to change their destiny. Unfortunately, in and around Chelsea's squad over recent years, those types of stories have rarely sprung up.

Think about Romelu Lukaku last season following his controversial interview or Timo Werner's terrible run of form. Two players who are no longer at Stamford Bridge, albeit the former is only on loan at Inter Milan.

One name who needs a Gallagher-esque moment of inspiration is the player who set up the Cobham graduate at Palace: Christian Pulisic.

The American is probably enduring his most challenging period at Stamford Bridge and for once it has nothing to do with the injury issues that consistently plagued him in his first three seasons with the club. He was consistently linked with a move away over the summer, with frustration over Tuchel's management cited as a key reason for his desire to go, but no exit materialised.

With media back home continuing to ponder why their star player was not featuring more it has been easy on social media for his reputation to be harmed a little. Pulisic's legion of online fans and specifically, USMNT accounts, have been hard to avoid so far this season.

Just gauge the reaction inside Stamford Bridge when Pulisic came off the bench against Salzburg to see how all of this has affected his reputation. He garnered criticism for quotes from his soon-to-be-released book where he expressed frustration over Tuchel not starting him in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid in 2021.

Much of the chatter around Pulisic has had little to do with what he's actually been doing on the pitch because little of it has been memorable and he has mostly been resigned to cameos off the bench. A new coach in Potter will offer a few players fresh starts and with many games to come in a short period before the World Cup in November, there is ample opportunity to change your status.

Pulisic was close to Gallagher when he saw his neat lay-off turned into one of the goals of this season so far, the American could do with one of those to alter the course of what looks to be a frustrating campaign for him.

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