Conor Gallagher's statistics this season compared to other Premier League midfielders | OneFootball

Highlights

It's not been a season to remember so far for Chelsea fans. 10th in the table with a record of just six wins and seven losses means that the Blues could be without European football once again in 2024/25. Pressure is starting to mount on manager Mauricio Pochettino, but one of the more positive things to come out of Stamford Bridge this term has been the resurgence of Conor Gallagher.

The 23-year-old has been a mainstay in the engine room so far during the 2023/24 campaign, playing alongside Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez while often leading the team out due to injuries to club captain Reece James and vice-captain Ben Chilwell. But according to The Athletic, Chelsea are prepared to sell Gallagher when the January transfer window opens. While the midfielder is out of contract in the summer of 2025, not renewing his deal and selling him in January would be baffling when you consider his stats in the Premier League this season and how well he's been playing after a poor 2022/23 season.

After impressing on loan at Crystal Palace, Gallagher was given a chance to impress for his boyhood club last season, but he failed to make much of an impact. Having scored eight times and assisted a further three times in the league for the Eagles, he managed just three goals and one assist for Chelsea in 22/23. Hardly a sign that he was first-team material for the long term.

That led to reports linking him with a move away from the club during the 2023 summer transfer window. Tottenham were interested in bringing him to north London, while West Ham also saw a £40m bid rejected for the box-to-box midfielder. In the end, no suitable offer arrived, and Gallagher would remain at Stamford Bridge.

Gallagher's stats compared to his box-to-box rivals

And what a positive thing that turned out to be for the Blues. Although Chelsea are yet to really click into gear, Gallagher has been one of the bright sparks in the Chelsea engine room. Gut-busting runs and excellent tackles made left, right, and centre, he looks like the player many saw tear up the turf while at Selhurst Park.

A tally of four league assists already means he has already quadrupled his total for last season, reflecting his creative side. He hasn't scored a league goal in 2023/24, but his contribution to the team has had Chelsea fans purring.

And his quality this season is underlined by the numbers, especially when compared to five other quality Premier League central midfielders who have played a box-to-box role this season. We've used Squawka's Comparison Matrix tool to compare Gallagher to Arsenal's Declan Rice, Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister, Manchester United's Scott McTominay, Manchester City's Bernardo Silva, and Newcastle's Bruno Guimarães. And the Chelsea man fares very well indeed.

Possession stats

While Gallagher might only lead in two of the categories above, he is not far off the leaders in the other metrics. Ranking fourth overall for touches in a game, he is having a massive say in the middle of the park, which is perhaps unsurprising given he is helping the team transition from defence to attack. When on the ball, though, he is tidy in possession, losing the ball the third-least out of all the names above, while also finishing top for take-on success percentage after completing the second-most take-ons per game. A player who loves to get on the ball and run at defences - that's everything you would want from a central midfielder.

But what's most impressive here is his work off the ball, something which Gallagher has become renowned for at Chelsea. Re-gaining possession 7.2 times a match on average, he's ahead of all five players, including Arsenal's Rice, someone who is widely regarded as one of the best in the business at winning the ball back.

Attacking stats

Gallagher has never been afraid to get forward, something which is reflected in his previously mentioned goal and assist statistics over the years. And his numbers compared to the five others are very impressive, coming joint-top for assists per match. However, one player really does shine through here.

Silva has become one of the most creative players in the league under Pep Guardiola at City, capable of playing on the wing and also through the middle. Topping the six players in shot accuracy, assists and chances created per 90 all helps to reflect that, but Gallagher isn't too far behind in either of the last two categories - a sign he is as capable on the ball as he is off of it.

Passing stats

Remember what we were saying earlier about Gallagher being tidy in possession? Well, the same point rings true here. Topping the six for pass accuracy, he is also behind only Silva for long pass accuracy too, an indicator that he is not wasteful.

Where he lags behind, however, is in total passes played, be it long, short or forward. Gallagher is second-last in all three metrics, and the gap between him and those above him for forward passes played every game is particularly concerning. Trusted to drive Chelsea towards goal, he is perhaps guilty of not being as direct as possible. Nevertheless, he is still performing to a decent standard here.

Defensive stats

Once again taking a look at statistics when out of possession, Gallagher shines through. Winning three out of eight categories, he tops the chart for tackles made per game, aerial duel success percentage, and interceptions per game too. Even more impressively, he's not far behind the leaders in some of the other categories as well, especially in ground duels contested per match where only Newcastle's determined Brazilian Guimarães outshines him.

Where he has to improve is in fouls conceded, with him sometimes guilty of a rash challenge. That was certainly the case against Brighton, with Gallagher sent off after being shown a second yellow card following a rash challenge. He has never been afraid of getting stuck in, proven by his clash with Yves Bissouma when Chelsea played Tottenham, but sometimes his aggression gets the better of him. If he can cut the poor tackles out, then there will be very few flaws in his defensive game.

Gallagher outshining his Chelsea teammates

He leads Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez in 13 categories

Based on the information above, Gallagher certainly seems to be a very well-rounded player in the heart of the Chelsea team. But while he might be the leader in seven categories compared to the other elite box-to-box midfielders, his numbers look even more favourable compared to Fernandez and Caicedo, Chelsea's two other starting midfielders in 2023/24.

Jumping back into Squawka's comparison tool and looking at the same 22 categories, Gallagher leads in 13 of them. Excelling in all areas of the pitch, he is particularly impressive out of possession, making more tackles while contesting and winning more duels on the ground. He is also intercepting passes nearly twice as much as Caicedo.

Fernandez, while an excellent passer of the ball compared to the Englishman, doesn't create as many chances as Gallagher per game, with the Argentine behind on average by 0.5. He's also less accurate when passing the ball, but is slightly better at playing forwards.

While the World Cup winner leads in seven categories, Caicedo lags behind, coming out the best in just three areas - long pass accuracy, aerial duels contests, and blocks per game. Hardly what Chelsea would have expected from their second-most expensive transfer ever.

Pochettino won't want to lose Gallagher

The manager has showered him with praise lately

With Gallagher up there with some of the best the league has to offer, and also leading the way statistically for Chelsea, it makes little sense for the Blues to sell him. At 23, he could contribute to the team for many years to come and is only likely to get better from here.

But with Todd Boehly and Co. ready to sanction the departure of players to fund their January transfer plans, per ESPN, Gallagher could be one of the players who exits the club next month. A decision which would leave Pochettino furious, given the praise the manager has bestowed upon his player in recent times. Per The Standard, the Blues' head coach believes his work rate and his Chelsea roots make him vital to his plans.

He's not wrong that many clubs would want Gallagher in their team, and if he is up for sale, there will be no shortage of suitors because of what he offers. While Chelsea may be forced to sell if Gallagher does not want to renew his contract, which has 18 months left to run, he has previously spoken about being confident that he would sign an extension and he is also reportedly prepared to fight for his place in the Chelsea first team. Only time will tell what will happen, but should he depart, he might come back to haunt his boyhood club.