After everything that has gone on over the past week or so, all of the upheaval, sparked by the sacking of Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea needed something here. Graham Potter needed something here. It was the new manager’s first experience of a Champions League tie, a detail to highlight his sudden ascent. It would be a wild night for him.
For plenty of the second half, it seemed as though Raheem Sterling had kickstarted Potter’s tenure. With a roll of his studs to set the ball and a swish of his right boot, the wide attacker found the far corner of the Red Bull Salzburg net and Chelsea could sense a similar ignition point for their Champions League campaign – after the trauma of the defeat at Dinamo Zagreb in the opening game.
