Potter’s important night
Graham Potter needed a statement win as Chelsea head coach; a result that gave credence to the idea he is the right man to oversee the long-term vision of Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali. Last night at Stamford Bridge, he got it.
It wasn’t so much the performance: Chelsea were good for large spells but also ceded too much of the individual in the second period. What was to Potter’s credit were the big calls he made all paid off.
The 47-year-old opted to stick with the back three despite not having Thiago Silva or Benoit Badiashile available. He also decided to select Marc Cucurella as the left centre-back despite having the reliable Trevoh Chalobah, who played in the role during a loan spell at Lorient, to call upon.
READ MORE: Every word Graham Potter said on Chelsea vs Borussia Dortmund, Kai Havertz, fans, Marc Cucurella
Both were decisions that paid off. Cucurella was excellent in the Chelsea backline. The Spaniard was aggressive in his defending and confident in his distribution. His versatility also enabled Ben Chilwell to maraud constantly from left wing-back.
The past 14 months have not been easy for Chilwell. He has had to battle back from ACL surgery and a hamstring injury suffered prior to the World Cup. It’s taken some time for the England international to get back up to speed but he is now at full strength and a huge weapon for Chelsea and Potter.
There were countless other impressive performances. Wesley Fofana once again looked assured. Kalidou Koulibaly the same in the heart of the back three. Reece James wasn’t quite as devastating in attack as Chelsea supporters have become accustomed to, but he was his usually combative self.
That was highlighted midway through the second half as he became embroiled in a angry exchange with Emre Can on the touchline during a break in play - the academy graduate even cheekily squirted water in the direction of the German during the spat.
That fight was displayed by each Chelsea player. Some may doubt whether the group is truly behind Potter, but it was a performance that at the very least indicated the players will not let this disappointing campaign end without a whimper.
"To win a game and progress into the last eight of the Champions League, I have to say it's up there in terms of wins and evenings in my career," Potter explained in his post-match press conference. "The players were tremendous. The supporters were tremendous. You have to be against a team that are doing so well: ten games on the bounce, winning all of them.
"But I think over the two games we deserved to go through. I think we played a good game in Dortmund but we didn't score. Today we did. It was a special night."
Havertz the nine
The past few weeks have not been easy for Kai Havertz - nor, admittedly, the team as a whole. The German has been tasked with leading the Chelsea attack and has not always found it easy. One goal in his previous eight matches was testament to that. Yet against Dortmund, he was outstanding.
It was clear Havertz was up for the game early on as he engaged and won duels with the Dortmund centre-backs. His touch was consistently clean. His passing crisp. His movement into the half spaced intelligent. It was a true reminder of the player Havertz can be.
He was unfortunate to have a first-half goal ruled out; a sublime finish from the edge of the box that kissed the crossbar on its way into the net. He also struck the inside of the post after smart work outside the box to knit together an attack. His moment, however, arrived shortly into the second period.
Potter confirmed in his pre-match press conference that following Jorginho’s departure to Arsenal in January, Havertz would be the club’s first-choice penalty taker. It was the 23-year-old’s moment to show why.
Havertz hasn’t previously missed a spot-kick (excluding shootouts) in his club career - and he took his penalty confidently. There was a little stutter to get a read on goalkeeper Alexander Meyer and a low drive toward the bottom corner. Unfortunately, the ball rebounded off the post.
VAR then came to the rescue. Encroachment was spotted prior to Havertz taking the spot kick and the referee ordered a retake. The Chelsea No.29 went through the same process, only this time he found the bottom corner – and proved Joao Felix right in the process.
It was fortunate but Havertz’s display had earned such luck. The challenge - as it has always been with the German international - is to produce this level of performance week in, week out.
Supporters play their part
The game was the most important of Chelsea’s season. Lose and there would be very little to play for during the final three months of the campaign. The Blues supporters knew that.
It’s why every effort was made to help Chelsea over the line. The team bus was greeted by a few hundred supporters outside of Stamford Bridge. They even managed to hold the Dortmund bus up, which ensured the game kicked off ten minutes later than planned.
Inside the stadium, the noise ramped up as the game played out. The players responded - and there was plenty of emotion shown on the touchline by Potter. That felt indicative of the stakes.
Dortmund boss Edin Terzic highlighted the impact of the supporters after his side’s defeat. "I think in the first 10 minutes you could feel the power, not just from Chelsea but from the stadium," he told BT Sport. "After that, we came back into the game but they managed to score and we didn’t."
After the full-time whistle – and after several embraces were shared with his players – Potter made his way over to the supporters in the Matthew Harding Stand and let emotion take over. There were a couple of passionate fist pumps and enthusiastic applause given to those who had made a difference.
"Everybody has had to stick together [during the poor run of form] and the players have done that in an incredible way," said Potter after the game. "And a big thanks to the supporters. They were amazing tonight – and they were also amazing on Saturday."
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