Regrets, he'll have a few.
Especially with Ben Chilwell's World Cup dream disintegrating as you read this. But Graham Potter confirmed after this dead rubber that he would not have done anything differently. Rightly so. The left-back was always going to start against Dinamo Zagreb having not played against Red Bull Salzburg last week and after coming on late against Brighton last Saturday.
Gareth Southgate - who names his 26-man squad for Qatar next Thursday might be tearing his hair out but this was actually a perfect run out for the former Leicester man to get his minutes ahead of Arsenal on Sunday. When your luck is out, however, your luck is out.
Chilwell missed six months of last season after knee surgery, returning for the final game of the campaign against Watford.
Speaking ahead of Chelsea's pre-season tour in July, he admitted to harbouring a dream of making it to Qatar and for so much of this wretched, congested, pigs ear of a campaign for Premier League clubs, it looked as though he would make it. But Chilwell is now set to join the likes of Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Diogo Jota, Emile Smith-Rowe and Pedro Neto in watching the World Cup from home.
It will also send a shiver down the spine of the other top flight pros aiming to push it to the limit in pursuit of vital Premier League points over the final two games before Qatar but mindful of the risk that could shatter their dreams.
Do you think Ben Chilwell should've played against Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday night? Let us know in the comments below!
It had been such a good night for Chelsea too. Raheem Sterling had answered his critics, Swiss midfielder Denis Zakaria - signed on loan from Juventus on September 1 but not seen since - had introduced himself to the club’s fans with a debut goal and Graham Potter avenged Thomas Tuchel’s defeat to Zagreb in September.
That defeat, on September 6, had cost the Champions League-winning German his job. But his replacement, a supposed rookie in Europe, is now unbeaten in five Champions league games, winning four and sealing qualification before this.
Bruno Petkovic headed in from close range, after just seven minutes to threaten another tough game after last Saturday’s shock 4-1 embarrassment in Brighton. Wide man Sadegh Mohrammi crossed from the right, midfielder Arijan Ademi headed back across goal and Petkovic had so much space around him he must have believed he was Matt Hancock's brain.
But Chelsea hit back through Sterling. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang back-heeled to him and the England forward angled his drive into the bottom corner.
The venom in his goal celebration, a defiant punch of the air, spoke volumes. Bizarre suggestions have done the rounds that his World Cup starting place could be under threat because of his run of just one goal in his last eleven. Thankfully Gareth Southgate isn’t stupid.
By now, Chelsea were in control, their decisive goal only a matter of time. Zakaria swept it in on the half-hour. Old foes Arsenal will represent a step up in class on Sunday. With the Premier League leaders ten points clear of Chelsea in sixth, the meeting is a must-win for Potter and his Blues brothers. But he is moulding a side with the handbrake off. How they fare will be fun to watch.
