Over the next week, football.london will be taking a look back at the key events at Stamford Bridge over an unforgettable 2022.
October began with Graham Potter’s first Premier League in charge at Selhurst Park.
An early Jordan Ayew opener put Crystal Palace ahead and raised concerns but a fine Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang equaliser before half-time and then, a stunning Conor Gallagher winner in the 89th minute felt poetic given the midfielder’s successful loan spell with Palace last season.
For Potter, the win would spark a much needed boost for his players, four days later he would get another notable win with more eyes watching at Stamford Bridge.
READ MORE: What happened in Chelsea win vs Brentford hints at huge Graham Potter change against Bournemouth
Chelsea found themselves under pressure in the Champions League group stage against a talented AC Milan who arrived three points clear of the Blues. But Chelsea easily dismantled them 3-0, with goals coming from Wesley Fofana, Aubameyang and Reece James.
It kickstarted the group stage and then improved the league form, another 3-0 win at home at the weekend over Wolves prompted more enthusiasm as attacking players continued to pick up form: Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic and Armando Broja all scoring.
That game also saw the return of beloved striker Diego Costa, who had recently made a shock move back to England with the West Midlands club. Although the 33-year-old barely impacted the game, shortly after Pulisic’s strike to make it 2-0, Costa was substituted, and as Wolves had turned Chelsea around at the coin toss, the forward walked around the Matthew Harding Lower.
It is no exaggeration to say the whole stadium came together in standing applause for Costa, clapping and singing his name for an extended period as the former Blues player walked around the pitch taking in the adoration.
In a year of difficulty, this was a memorable moment of unity surrounding a loved player who had contributed massively to two title victories in 2015 and 2017, scored 52 goals and become a cult hero.
Another win over AC Milan at the San Siro kept the winning run going but came at a huge cost.
In the second half, with Chelsea strolling to a 2-0 win against 10 men after an early Fikayo Tomori red card, Reece James collapsed to the turf in pain, landing awkwardly on his knee. The 22-year-old attempted to carry on but pulled up again, soon being helped off by the medical team.
Early signs of the injury appeared optimistic but by Friday, the darkest timeline emerged. James was ruled out with an injury until the World Cup, missing nine games before the break for Qatar.
It felt like groundhog day, given that almost a year earlier Chelsea had suffered a big injury to another wing-back after a win over an Italian giant. In 2021, it was Chilwell versus Juventus, this time it was James in 2022.
Without James’ talent and output, performances and results started to dip. A goalless draw at Brentford and a last-gasp Casemiro equaliser to deny a huge win over Manchester United started to sour the mood.
Potter could boast qualification from the Champions League group stage with a 2-1 win over RB Salzburg thanks to two wonderful strikes from Mateo Kovacic and Kai Havertz but that joy again was short-lived.
The 10th game of Potter’s reign would see the narratively infused clash with Brighton at the AMEX, a return to Brighton, who had yet to win under new boss Roberto De Zerbi. So naturally, Brighton would batter Chelsea 4-1.
It was a disastrous day, two own-goals in the first half from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Trevoh Chalobah put the game beyond Chelsea. A slightly improved second half could not hide the embarrassment and the mood would soon turn from frustration into anger heading into November.
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