Conor Gallagher footage in Tottenham win vs Chelsea proves why he's so crucial to Roberto De Zerbi
Conor Gallagher put in a typically high-intensity performance as Tottenham Hotspur defeated Chelsea in pre-season.
Spurs rounded out their tour of New Zealand and Australia win a 2-1 victory over their London rivals in Sydney on Sunday.
Sandro Tonali's 17th-minute opener was cancelled out by Estevao to leave the teams locked at 1-1 at the break.
A red card for Kevin Danso in the 49th minute made life even more difficult for Roberto De Zerbi's men.
But Richarlison scored the winner in the 92nd minute to complete what has been a fruitful tour for the Lilywhite as they build towards the new Premier League season.
There was one moment from Gallagher during the game that caused a bit of controversy, but De Zerbi will have absolutely loved it.
Roberto De Zerbi will love Conor Gallagher moment in Tottenham vs Chelsea
Tottenham News has previously covered how Gallagher is set for an important role at Tottenham under De Zerbi.
And there was one moment, seen in the clip below posted by Spurs Army on X, that shows just why Ze Zerbi will be counting on him.
In the video, you can see how Gallagher caused a coming together between the teams with an absolutely crunching tackle on Chelsea's Dario Essugo.
The incident also caused a bit on consternation online, with some suggesting Gallagher should not be making such a challenge in pre-season.
But De Zerbi will not be thinking that way for a single moment.
The Italian wants full commitment, he wants high intensity, and he wants players willing to play on the edge and give everything for the team.
For anything that Gallagher may lack in terms of technical ability, he makes up for it with his full-blooded commitment.
Gallagher is going to be crucial in De Zerbi's system, which commands high energy, the ability to press with intensity, and a demand to win the ball back quickly.
The 26-year-old joined from Atletico Madrid for a fee of £35million having previously played for the Blues.
He grew in stature once De Zerbi arrived, and you get the feeling that the Italian is really going to count on the 22-cap England international.
What were Conor Gallagher's stats in Tottenham vs Chelsea?
There were several encouraging performances as Tottenham defeated Chelsea.
But Gallagher is one who stood out for his commitment against his former employers.
He had a pass accuracy of 86 per cent in the game, though that did drop to 62.5% in the final third, which is one slight concern.
Defensively, though, he won two of the three tackles he attempted, and won six of the nine duels he was involved in - while wining back possession on two occasions.
He did lose possession on 10 occasions, but Tonali - playing alongside him in midfield - lost the ball 11 times for comparison.
Last week, De Zerbi said of Gallagher: “I consider Conor a top player and a top guy. I think it is more important to me a good guy than good player, but he is both.
"When Conor is good and in a good condition, we play with one player more because he is like two players."
It is becoming evidently clear that Gallagher is going to be hugely important for De Zerbi, and his crunching tackle on Essugo in a game of little relevance shows exactly why he is going to be so valued.