Reece James left Stamford Bridge last night with the plaudits ringing in his ears, having been the star man in an emphatic victory which kick-started Chelsea’s Champions League campaign.
James, 22, became the youngest Chelsea player to score and assist in a Champions League match, and the three points saw his side move from the bottom of their group to second, with three matches to play.
For Graham Potter, his new boss at the Blues, the potential of James “is beyond the sky” and he can “be a Chelsea legend”. For former Blues star Joe Cole, watching on from the television studio, there were “not enough superlatives” to do justice to James’s dominant performance.
And for team-mate Trevoh Chalobah, it is quite simple: James is the best wing-back in the world.
“I’ve said it from day one,” said Chalobah, who came up through Chelsea’s academy alongside James. “Right now, he could be the best in the world [in that position]. Yes, we are lucky to have him. He is an unbelievable player who can do all sides of the game. He can defend, get us goals and get us assists. It is a pleasure to play with him.”
It was a near-perfect night for Chelsea, apart from an injury to Wesley Fofana after he had scored the opening goal. Fofana left the stadium in a knee brace after jarring his leg in the first half and could be missed, with a busy period to come. He was replaced by Chalobah, who slotted in well at the back as Chelsea kept a clean sheet against the Italian champions.
Chalobah’s display could be a turning point in his Chelsea career after he was linked with a loan move to several Serie A clubs.
"I am at Chelsea, this is my club," he added. "Every time I get the chance I want to show the manager that I am good enough to play. Any chance I get I need to do my best and let the manager decide. [Potter] said I have been training well so take it into the game. He knew I was ready and what I could do.
"Playing at a big club like Chelsea, you’ve got to be ready. If you are not playing you need to know what you need to do better. It starts in training. I’ve been ready for a couple of games now and I got my chance today and hopefully, I can take it.
"I felt good stepping on the pitch today. It has been a long time but it felt good and I can’t wait for the next game."
Chelsea's new manager Graham Potter described his side's performance as the benchmark for the season to measure their future displays. It felt like a turning point for the club that has been in transition after sacking Thomas Tuchel last month.
Chalobah said the result brings back memories of Chelsea's best win of last season, a 4-0 home win against another Italian superpower in Juventus.
"This is football. It is all about momentum and confidence. We need to take this performance into that game. It brings back memories of how we played against Juventus last year. The boys dug in solid with a clean sheet and it is a good win.
"We will focus on the next game in the Premier League, then the Champions League second leg next week. I think the away game will be very tough [next week] and we need to be ready for that."
