It was a cruel introduction to life in the Champions League.
No dream start for Graham Potter as Chelsea contrived to throw away a lead and now they are in serious peril in Group E with back-to-back games against AC Milan ahead. Potter, 47, admitted he had never even been to a Champions League game before let alone take charge of one and for long periods he looked perfectly at home in his new surroundings.
Raheem Sterling scored the first goal of the new Potter era and if Todd Boehly was watching on after punting his idea for a US style All Star North v South game then the Chelsea forward would surely be guaranteed a place. But they let it slip with the familiar failings of Potterball because they dominated, played some pretty stuff - and yet did not put the opponents away.
Instead, Chelsea were held to a draw amid missed chances and defensive errors at Stamford Bridge and Potter clearly does not have a magic wand. At the final whistle, there was a smattering of boos which can only be out of sheer frustration on what should have been a big night but ultimately it fell rather flat.
The minute’s silence before kick-off was impeccably observed, Chelsea fans did their own rendition of “God Save The Queen” whether UEFA allowed it or not and even there was a huge banner which read “RIP Your Majesty” displayed in the Shed End. It was a mark of respect matched by Potter’s smart suit and black tie and it felt like an emotionally-charged occasion at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea rose to it as well as the new manager watching on from the touchline would have been very happy to see his players zip the ball around with the sort of speed and ideas that have been missing in recent weeks. There was no great fanfare to introduce Potter, no introduction to the crowd and maybe that was down to the circumstances of the past week and period of mourning.
But it was pretty obvious that this was now Potter’s team as they lived up to his promise to deliver exciting football with Reece James pushing forward, it was more like a back three with the wide players just bombing forward. James was the supply line as his crosses just eluded Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s head and then another low ball into the box was beyond Sterling at the back post.
Typically when Chelsea did make their breakthrough it came after great work by James in the build-up as the right back stormed forward, Mason Mount’s cross then carried all the way across the face of Salzburg’s penalty box. There was Sterling on the far side, he rolled the ball forward to control it, pick his spot and then curled a lovely low shot into the far corner to bring Stamford Bridge to life.
Incredibly, that mad it 250 goals and assists combined for Sterling in all competitions at club level for Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea and he is as close to a guarantee as you can get. He will clearly be a vital player for Potter. But Potter’s constant failing at Brighton was not putting opponents away. And sure enough, back came Salzburg as they benefitted from two sloppy pieces of defending.
Substitute Junior Adamu escaped from Thiago Silva who overcommitted himself, in came the cross and there was Noah Okafor who pulled away from Cesar Azpilicueta, scuffed his shot but the ball almost trickled in from a deflection off the Chelsea defender. That was the way it finished. Hardly a memorable introduction for Potter and things can only get better.
