Denis Zakaria glanced at the bench after scoring his first Chelsea goal half an hour into his debut on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old midfielder, who completed a season-long loan move from Juventus on deadline day, was finally on the field in the famous blue shirt. The stare at the bench – whether that was directed at Graham Potter or not – was telling.
"For me, yes [it was a surprise to wait that long for his Chelsea debut], a little bit," Zakaria explained. "But yes, it was a new coach who decided to do it like this. I have to accept it and work. That's what I do, I worked on myself to be ready for this moment and today I think I was ready, so I am happy about that.
