Conor Gallagher says scoring his first Chelsea goal against his former side Crystal Palace was "written in the stars" as he sealed a 2-1 win at Selhurst Park.
Substitute Gallagher had been on the field only 14 minutes when he curled a sublime late winner past ex-team-mate Vicente Guaita in the final minute of normal time to see Chelsea triumph in their first league match under Graham Potter.
It was the England international's first goal for Chelsea on his seventh appearance for the club.
Gallagher was given a chance to impress in the Premier League during last season's spell on loan at Selhurst Park, where he was crowned the club's Player of the Year, and the 22-year-old believes there was a sense of inevitability to his winner.
"It's a very special moment to come on and get the winner and my first goal for Chelsea," he told BBC Sport.
"It was written in the stars. Unfortunately, it came against Palace, but I'm just buzzing to get my first goal.
"Everyone knows how much I loved it here [at Palace] and I thank the whole club and the fans – even today with the reception they gave me."
Gallagher had featured six times for Chelsea in the league prior to Saturday's trip to Selhurst Park, starting three, but he had failed to score, assist or create any big chances, defined by Opta as an opportunity from which a player would reasonably be expected to find the back of the net.
Despite his limited playing time against Palace, Gallagher completed more dribbles (two) than any team-mate on what had been a frustrating day for Chelsea.
He is now hoping to get more opportunities to impress.
"Hopefully I can build a bit of confidence with the goal and push on," he said.
"I want to work as hard as I can for [Potter] and be available wherever he needs me, whether starting or coming off the bench.
"Obviously I want to start, and I need to show him I'm good enough."
Magic savour 'special' Washington triumph after record-equalling ninth straight win
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero and coach Jamahl Mosley both lauded a "special" night for the team as they equalled the franchise's record winning run by overcoming the Washington Wizards.
Banchero finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, while Franz Wagner had a game-high 31 points as Orlando beat Washington for the second time in two days on Friday, clinching a 130-125 success at Amway Center.
The victory was Orlando's ninth in a row, taking them to 14-5 for the season and matching their longest ever streak, with the team having previously won nine straight in 1994, 2001 and 2010-11.
Orlando are one of just two NBA franchises – along with the Indiana Pacers – to never enjoy a double-digit winning run, but they have the chance to do so for the first time when they visit the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.
"It's pretty special," Banchero said of the team's run, which began with the first of back-to-back road wins over the Chicago Bulls on November 15.
"Eventually I think a loss is going to come, but we just want to keep it rolling for as long as we can.
"But you're not surprised when you do something like this because we've got great chemistry and we play really well together."
Orlando are up to second in the Eastern Conference, with only the 15-4 Boston Celtics and the 14-4 Minnesota Timberwolves boasting better records across the entire league.
Head coach Mosley said: "It's a big time for this group, but more importantly, I think it's a big time for the fans and the organisation.
"There's an energy, there's a vibe, a buzz about this group, and our guys are doing a good job of embracing it, not getting too high or too low but being able to register that this is something special."
Beth Mead highlights the importance of consistency after England’s comeback show
England forward Beth Mead called for more consistency after the Lionesses required a dramatic comeback to beat the Netherlands 3-2 at Wembley and keep their hopes of qualifying for next summer’s Olympics alive.
The Nations League contest marked a first appearance for second-half substitute Mead in more than a year since she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament last November, just a few months after the Arsenal veteran had won the golden boot at Euro 2022 and also been named player of the tournament.
England will need to beat Scotland at Hampden Park on Tuesday night to have any chance of advancing in the inaugural tournament, with only the group leaders progressing.
Mead said: “The days when I’ve struggled in the gym, long, hard training days of not being able to play football and do the thing that I love, it makes it worthwhile to run out there in front of such big crowd getting a great reception and a ruthless second half of football.
“We can [flick on at a moment’s notice], but we need to do that for 90 minutes. The first half let us down. We were chasing the game and you don’t want to be 2-0 down at half-time.
“But we had the belief in the team, we knew we could score goals and we came out in the second half and I thought the team was amazing. Every single person on the pitch and every player that came on is a game changer. And now we’ve got to do that for 90 minutes and be more consistent throughout the (next) game.”
England and the Netherlands have identical head-to-head records after Friday night’s meeting, which saw goals from Georgia Stanway, Lauren Hemp and Ella Toone follow Lineth Beerensteyn’s first-half brace, but the Oranje Leeuwinnen now boast a 4-1 advantage on goal difference.
The Lionesses, therefore, will hope for both improvements to their defence, which spluttered in the build-up to the Dutch opener, and a bit of help from Belgium, who travel to the Netherlands for their own final group stage encounter on Tuesday night.
England could secure top spot with a victory should the Netherlands drop points, but if both they and the Dutch win the Lionesses will require a comprehensive win over Scotland to overcome the goal difference, a situation many have pointed out as unusual considering those same Scottish players would be eligible for Team GB.
Mead, who started every game of England’s Euro 2022 triumph, was actively engaged from the bench throughout the first period, and passed on her observations at half-time before coming on for Chloe Kelly to start the second half.
She added: “Obviously I didn’t know I was coming on until quite late at half-time but everybody in this team can make an impact on the game, whether you’re playing or not playing.
“I think tactically, if you see something, give somebody that information to make the team better. And I think we did that really well at half-time. We give each other the belief and then the players that came on give the energy to the rest of the girls on the pitch. And ultimately that’s probably why we had such a good second half.
“[The win] gives us that little bit of energy again. We know we’re capable of that. We’ve just shown it in front of such a big crowd on such a big occasion and now we’ve got to do it consistently.”
Brendan Rodgers says meeting the Pope a ‘real privilege’ and ‘life achievement’
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has described his meeting with the Pope as a “life achievement”.
Rodgers was part of a delegation of Celtic coaches, players and directors who were granted a private audience with Pope Francis on Wednesday morning, following their Champions League defeat by Lazio in Rome the previous night.
Rodgers said: “It was obviously a real privilege for us all to have the invitation to go there.
“It was a really humbling experience and it felt like a life achievement to meet him. It was so nice, everyone that came out of the room that morning felt really privileged and really honoured.”
Pope Francis told the Celtic delegation that while winning was always preferred, it was not the most important aspect.
Quoted on the Vatican website, he added: “More vital is the example you give when winning or losing, both on and off the field. An example that embodies the virtues of courage, perseverance, generosity and respect for the God-given dignity of others.
“Indeed, Celtic Football Club was founded in 1887 with the specific goal of alleviating poverty in the city of Glasgow. This was truly a charitable undertaking for the sake of the most needy of our brothers and sisters.
“Yet, how much the world of football has changed since then. In particular, the financial footprint of the ‘beautiful game’ has greatly increased, and at times can risk making football only attractive for reasons of monetary profit.
“The valued legacy of your club, then, places a heavy responsibility upon your shoulders, reminding you to be good role models, especially for young people.”
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