Izuchukwu OkosiFormer Crystal Palace midfielder Conor Gallagher struck twice on Monday night as Chelsea defeated Palace 3-1 to continue their pursuit for European football, reports Prime Business Africa.
The game was the 200th for Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson as the Eagles succumbed to a 13th Premier League defeat this season with only two wins to their credit.
Enzo Fernández wrapped up the evening for Mauricio Pochettino’s side with a close range finish in stoppage time.
Brazilian youngster Matheus França was finally handed his first Premier League start six months after his arrival in the absence of Anglo-Nigerian midfield dynamo, Eberechi Eze and his fellow Eagle of Nigerian heritage, Michael Olise.
Thirteen of Palace’s 26 league goals this season have been scored or created by Eze or Olise.
However it was Palace that scored the first of the night through Jefferson Lerma who let fly a powerful shot that nestled at the top right corner beyond the reach of goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.
Chelsea could not call on the duo of Carney Chukwuemeka and Lesley Ugochukwu due to injury setbacks but Noni Madueke started for the Blues.
Chelsea will face Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday in what promises to be a great game in prospect.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
