The biggest positives for Chelsea to take as Potter silences doubters
Three at the back is the way to go, Havertz and Felix are a match made in heaven… and Kante is still to come! Graham Potter silenced the doubters as Chelsea got past Dortmund, so what are the biggest positives to take from their Champions League heroics?
- Chelsea progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday night
- Potter oversaw the best performance of his reign in charge against Dortmund
- Sportsmail has taken a look at the biggest positives to take from that victory
Less than two weeks ago Graham Potter’s position as Chelsea boss was hanging by the barest of threads when a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham all but ended any hopes of a top-four finish.
With one win under their belt this calendar year, as many goals scored in six games and an influx of new recruits struggling, the Blues were in freefall under Potter and their next two outings were therefore seen as critical for his tenure.
Yet fast forward 10 days and the future is suddenly a lot rosier for him at Stamford Bridge, after last Saturday’s 1-0 win at home Leeds was followed by the best performance of his reign so far, a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
Having fought back against the German club to book their place in the quarter-finals, Potter now has plenty to be optimistic about heading into the business end of the season.
Sportsmail has taken a look at the biggest positives for Chelsea to take from their spirited display against Dortmund on Tuesday night.
Graham Potter looked down and out at Chelsea less than two weeks ago, but their Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund has left his future looking rosier
There are now plenty of positives for the Blues to take into the final few months of the season
Three is the magic number
When he replaced Thomas Tuchel in September, Potter initially appeared to lean towards a 3-4-3 system at Chelsea despite sometimes shifting to a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.
The majority of outings in his opening nine-game unbeaten run came in this formation, yet serious injuries to Reece James and Ben Chilwell before the World Cup break left him without natural wing-backs for a lengthy period of time.
Marc Cucurella and Cesar Azpilicueta do not offer enough in the position offensively, while academy graduate Lewis Hall lacks experience. As a result, Potter steered away from fielding wing-backs with James and Chilwell out.
When they are fit and firing, Chelsea look at their most creative going forward with the pair galloping down each flank, which perhaps explains their barren run in front of goal over the past two months.
On Tuesday night they combined well with the likes of Kai Havertz, Joao Felix and Raheem Sterling in attack, with the latter firing home their opener after Chilwell advanced down the left-hand side and sent a cross into the box.
The 3-4-3 setup, which also provides Enzo Fernandez and whoever partners him in central midfield with greater protection behind, is a no brainer for Potter to stick with given how strong it looked against Dortmund.
When Reece James (left) and Ben Chilwell (right) are available 3-4-3 suits Chelsea perfectly
James is one of their biggest attacking threats when galloping down the right-hand side
As is Chilwell, whose cross found Raheem Sterling (centre) in the box for Chelsea’s opener
Havertz and Felix a match made in heaven
Two of Chelsea’s star performers on the night were Havertz and Felix, who linked up brilliantly in the final third, most notably in the first half, with the majority of their best work coming through the two.
It is clear they are on the same wavelength, and their flexibility in operating pretty much anywhere across the frontline allows them to interchange and leave defences in a muddle.
Either Havertz can drop deeper, collect the ball and look to feed Felix or another attacker – or vice-versa. The German in particular produced one of his best displays of the season, which was largely because he had a license to roam freely in and around the attack rather than stay isolated up front as a focal point.
Joao Felix (left) and Kai Havertz (right) were two of Chelsea’s best players on the night and are clearly on the same wavelength
A lot was made of Chelsea’s failure to bring in a centre-forward despite their £300million spending spree in the January transfer window, which may still pose problems if they’re ever in need of a Plan B.
Yet by partnering Havertz and Felix in this more fruitful 3-4-3 system, Potter may well have found the answer to his attacking woes.
Cucurella confidence
It has been a tough start to life at Stamford Bridge for Cucurella, with a series of underwhelming performances after his big-money move from Brighton convincing supporters he is out of his depth at the top level.
On Tuesday night, though, the Spaniard offered a glimpse of why Chelsea forked out £63million to sign him last summer with a solid defensive showing.
Positioned on the left of a back three, Cucurella read the game expertly and was on hand with several key interceptions which enabled Chelsea to hit Dortmund on the break.
Marc Cucurella produced his finest display in a Blues shirt after a tough first half of the season
The Spaniard was sharp throughout and even claimed the Player of the Match award as a result
As early as the sixth minute he was sharp enough to sprint forward and cut out an Emre Can pass near the halfway line, allowing Sterling to advance forward and pick out Felix, who dropped a shoulder in the box and earned them a corner.
Such an assured display, which earned him the Player of the Match award, may well prove a watershed moment for Cucurella as he bids to kick on and begin justifying his eye-watering price tag.
No Silva no problem
Another huge positive for Potter is how sturdy his backline has looked even without the elegance and experience of Thiago Silva at the heart of it.
Losing Silva to injury ahead of two make-or-break fixtures came as a serious blow, yet in the end his absence was not felt as the likes of Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Kalidou Koulibaly stepped up to the plate.
Koulibaly, another new recruit who had flattered to deceive early on at the club, has been particularly impressive of late and appears much more comfortable in a three-man defence.
When operating as one of two centre-halves the 31-year-old can be left slightly exposed, but in both victories over Leeds and Dortmund he proved capable of filling Silva’s shoes.
Given he is six months away from turning 39, Potter will be delighted to have worthy replacements for Silva at his disposal whenever the Brazilian is unavailable.
Even without Thiago Silva (pictured) Chelsea have looked sturdy and compact in defence
Wesley Fofana (left) and Kalidou Koulibaly (right) stepped up in his absence in two high-pressure games over the past five days
Kante to come
Chelsea also still have the luxury of welcoming N’Golo Kante (pictured) back
Even more encouraging for Chelsea is the fact that the strongest display of Potter’s reign so far came without the most talented player in his squad anywhere near it.
Since arriving at the club he has been unable to call upon the unique qualities of N’Golo Kante, who finally returned to training last week after a six-month spell on the sidelines.
Not that he needed anymore, but Kante’s long-awaited comeback almost feels like a new signing for Potter, and an incredible one at that.
When fit there is no better box-to-box midfielder in world football than the Frenchman, meaning his return to action will only strengthen Chelsea.
While Potter recently admitted easing him back in will be a ‘complex’ process, having Kante available in any form could make the difference in their Champions League run.
Source: Read Full Article