The midfielder was welcomed onto the pitch by a banner organized by fans. There have been suggestions he could be sold this summer to alleviate any Profitability and Sustainability concerns – any sale representing a pure profit on the balance sheet due to the fact he is an academy graduate. Gallagher also has just over a year remaining on his contract in West London. Pochettino has now attempted to intervene.

The Argentine has demanded a decision on the situation sooner rather than later. “He’s an important player of course,” Pochettino commented, “But I’m not involved in the decision, it’s the club and Conor. I’m not involved, that’s a situation that they need to fix between the club and the player.” Gallagher played his part in Thursday’s win over Spurs – a victory that actually leaves Chelsea in the race for European football.

His free-kick was nodded home by fellow academy graduate Trevoh Chalobah. Pochettino was full of praise for both for their displays. “They were fantastic of course, and we always talk about the identity of the club,” he added. “With players that grow and come through the academy system, they have the capacity in this type of game to give a little bit more because it’s emotional.

But that doesn’t mean that players that didn’t go through the academy system don’t feel the same. “It’s very difficult for me to say. These are like private conversations that I’ve had with the club and the player.”