Chelsea step up contract talks with key player

Chelsea benefitted from Tottenham Hotspur having two players sent off as they earned a 4-1 win over their fierce rivals on Monday evening. 

The Blues had fallen behind to Dejan Kulusevski’s opener, before drawing level from the penalty spot through Cole Palmer after Cristian Romero was sent off for a foul on fellow countryman Enzo Fernandez.

In a frantic first half in North London, the visitors had three goals ruled out whilst Spurs captain Son Heung-Min also saw an effort disallowed.

VAR played a huge role in the match, checking possible red cards for Destiny Udogie, Romero and Reece James before the break.

Shortly after the restart, Udogie was dismissed after picking up a second yellow card, but it took Chelsea until around ten minutes from time to take the lead.

Nicolas Jackson converted a Raheem Sterling pass to put the Blues ahead, before adding two more goals in added time to register his first Chelsea hat-trick and complete a memorable victory for the Blues.

Gallagher has established himself as a key part of Pochettino’s squad

Off the pitch, it seems that those in charge of the club are now accelerating contract talks with one of their most important players.

The club are keen to step up talks with midfielder Conor Gallagher ahead of the January transfer window, according to 90min.

Gallagher, 23, is a product of the club’s youth academy and has established himself as a regular since the start of last season.

The Englishman had been heavily linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge over the summer following Chelsea’s huge spending spree, but he ultimately stayed put and is now a key player for Pochettino.

In total Gallagher has made 59 appearances for the Blues across all competitions, including starting all 11 of their Premier League games so far this term.

He has also captained his boyhood club on numerous occasions this season, in the absence of captain Reece James and vice captain Ben Chilwell.

The player’s current contract is set to run until the summer of 2025 but those in charge of the club are reportedly keen to tie him down to a long-term deal in a bid to deter interest from elsewhere in January.