MIDFIELD BATTLE: CONOR GALLAGHER'S PREMIER LEAGUE RETURN TRIGGERS PALACE VS MAN UTD WAR
Former club CEO Keith Wyness believes Crystal Palace is the likeliest destination for Conor Gallagher if the midfielder leaves Atlético Madrid, challenging Man Utd.
Crystal Palace might try to grab Conor Gallagher from under Manchester United's noses if he decides to return to the Premier League.
That’s according to Keith Wyness, who used to be the main man at Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen. Speaking with Football Insider, he mentioned that Atletico Madrid's Gallagher would be a good addition to Crystal Palace.
Man United also wants Gallagher, and he might be available for about £26 million in January.
Gallagher was with Crystal Palace on loan from Chelsea back in 2021-22 and was named the club’s best player that season.
Wyness thinks any move for Gallagher is more likely to happen in the summer instead of January.
Talking on Football Insider’s podcast, Wyness said Crystal Palace might need to add some new players to their team next summer.
He told Football Insider, “I wouldn’t be shocked if Gallagher went back to Palace. He was well-liked there and had a great time on loan.
“Palace might need to add to their squad if they end up losing a couple of players, and Gallagher would be a good fit for them. That’s why I think he might go there.
“But I still think it’ll wait until the summer. He’ll likely finish the season with Atletico and see what happens afterwards. He has a big season ahead of him in Spain, where they're doing well, though it is hard to win that league.
“If they can get past Real Madrid and Barcelona, anything is possible, and I know he could become a star. The fans like him, but if he comes back to England, I’m betting on Palace.”
If Crystal Palace goes after Gallagher next summer, it might be because Adam Wharton is leaving.
Crystal Palace values Wharton at £100m, and Man United is interested in the 21-year-old.
Man United wants a new midfielder next summer but may look for cheaper options.
VAR REVIEW: CHELSEA 2-2 BOURNEMOUTH, ESTêVãO PENALTY DRAMA EXPLAINED! WAS IT A FOUL OR A DIVE
Explaining the VAR: How an 11th-minute penalty check at Stamford Bridge saved a point for Chelsea against a resilient Bournemouth.
Every week, the Video Assistant Referee stirs up drama in the Premier League. Let's break down how these calls are made and if they're actually right.
This season, we're digging into the big moments to explain the VAR process and the rules of the game.
What went down: Chelsea's Estêvão was moving into the Bournemouth box, with Antoine Semenyo on his tail. Estêvão went down after some contact with Semenyo. The ref, Barrott, waved off Chelsea's penalty shouts, saying there wasn't a foul. He thought both players made contact naturally as they were running, and Estêvão basically tripped himself.
VAR said, "After looking at it, VAR Pawson suggested Barrott take another look at the monitor for a possible penalty because Semenyo might have tripped Estêvão."
VAR's take: Pawson had to figure out if the contact was just part of the play, like the ref thought, or if Semenyo fouled Estêvão. It was clear Estêvão tripped, but the question was how the contact started.
At first glance, it would be hard for Pawson to disagree with the ref because the main TV angle wasn't clear. But after checking out the sideline and behind views, Pawson saw that Semenyo stepped into Estêvão's path, making enough contact with his leg to cause him to trip.
Pawson told Barrott to check the monitor for a possible penalty. Barrott watched the replays, agreed, and gave Chelsea the penalty.
The call: It was a reasonable VAR call based on today's standards. But it's a borderline case.
Barrott seemed unsure of the monitor and needed some convincing from different angles.
A lot of the time, this kind of contact is just from players running normally, and someone goes down. To give a penalty, there really needs to be a clear foul by the defender. You could say that happened here, but it's a pretty low standard for VAR to get involved.
Chelsea 2-2 AFC Bournemouth
Referee: Sam Barrott
VAR: Craig Pawson
What: VAR check for a foul in the box
When: 11th minute
BREAKING: UNAI EMERY REVEALS THE REAL REASON BEHIND HIS COLD ARTETA HANDSHAKE SNUB NOW
Unai Emery explains why he skipped the post-match handshake as Arsenal’s 4-1 win ends Aston Villa’s 11-game streak at the Emirates.
Unai Emery said he didn't shake Mikel Arteta's hand right after Aston Villa lost at the Emirates Stadium since the Arsenal manager kept him waiting.
This loss stopped Villa's winning streak at 11 games, their first in almost two months.
Villa held their own in the first half, but Arsenal scored early in the second when Gabriel got to the ball before Emi Martinez on a corner.
Martin Zubimendi quickly made it 2-0, and Leandro Trossard scored a third goal a little after an hour had passed.
Soon after entering the pitch, Gabriel Jesus scored, making it 4-0. Ollie Watkins was able to respond by tapping in a goal late in the game after Donyell Malen's nice play.
After the game, Emery waited to shake Arteta's hand, but he went to the locker room since Arteta was still celebrating with his team.
It’s easy to see. I like to do things fast,” Emery said when asked about why he didn’t shake Arteta’s hand.
“I shake hands, then I go to the dressing room with my players and coaches. I was waiting.
“Arteta was busy with his coaches, so I went inside. It’s not a big deal for me.”
About the match, Emery commented, “We played great in the first half, and things were going our way. We had corners and defended well. We didn’t let them get a corner in the first half.
“We felt good, but we let in the first goal in the second half. Onana getting hurt didn’t help since he’s important for set pieces and in the midfield.
“We didn’t quit, and we kept playing hard. We scored one goal and almost scored more. Arsenal is the best team in the league and should win the title.
“I’m not sure which day it is since we’ve played Arsenal twice already, and we still have to play Nottingham. But I’m happy with our goals and how we're trying to attain them.