Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund: The relief was palpable at Stamford Bridge as Graham Potter finally achieved some success as manager of Chelsea. The frustrations about the difficult performance of the past few weeks finally gave way to joy on Tuesday evening.
Potter was under a lot of pressure after Chelsea suffered their third consecutive defeat against Tottenham Hotspur last week. Last Saturday’s difficult victory over Leeds United marked The Blues ‘ first victory since January 15. The last time Chelsea booked two wins in a row was in October.
The fact that Chelsea booked its second win in four days with the victory over Dortmund ( 2-0 ) ensures that Potter has some air again. “This was a different Potter, a different Chelsea,” the BBC writes in an analysis of the match. “Owner Toddy Boehly seemed to look at it with a mix of relief and joy.”
The problems were not immediately solved by two good results, but the pressure on Potter’s shoulders has eased for a while. “You can feel the relief in the fans,” said Rio Ferdinand, analyst at BT Sport. “These are those moments in a season when self-confidence and faith returns in one fell swoop.”
Ferdinand credited Potter for the handsome win. “The manager needed this result and they played well. They did not give up and deserved this victory. Many of these players are accustomed to success, but fingers have been pointed at them. You feel that this means a lot to the club,” he said.
This result could make a huge difference to confidence
Despite the dramatic season in their own country, Chelsea is in the last eight of the Champions League. It is the only remaining chance for a prize. “They are far from the favourites, if you compare them with the other teams,” says Ferdinand. “But this result could make a huge difference to confidence.”
Especially because Dortmund had already won ten matches in a row. Potter was overjoyed with the result. “Fantastic evening, fantastic atmosphere,” he exalted at the press conference. “The players and fans have been fantastic. That also had to be done against a team that had already won ten matches. It was a special evening.”
Potter is grateful to the supporters for the support they gave the team. “In life you always have difficult and beautiful periods, that’s how I see it. It’s about how you react when things go bad. Things never go bad forever, although it sometimes felt that way,” said the manager, who matched Bobby Robson with his fifth CL win of the season.
