As the Thomas Tuchel era at Chelsea Football Club ended this past week, Graham Potter took the helm, hoping to change the club’s trajectory following a slow start to the campaign. Caden Charpentier chooses the best Blues from inside Stamford Bridge.
A 1-0 loss on the road against GNK Dinamo Zagreb, in what would end up being Tuchel’s final match in charge, made the job a difficult one for Potter. A new head coach still trying to get his feet wet at a club he just arrived at a few days ago.
With a much calmer demeanor on the sideline compared to his predecessor, Potter chose to make a few changes to how the Blues lined up. A stable three in the back was present as the game unfolded while Jorginho featured as CFC’s prominent holding player with Mason Mount, and Mateo Kovacic paired alongside each other slightly higher up the pitch. Reece James flew up the flank on the right-hand side with Raheem Sterling playing on the opposite side much higher up the pitch.
Potter consistently plays an extremely fluid formation that changes throughout the game, and with this long break, the Blues have plenty of time to tinker with some of the question marks coming out of his first match. Despite a disappointing draw putting Chels’ in a challenging position to advance to the knockout stage, there were a few players that pieced together quality outings that Potter can be encouraged about going forward.
Chelsea’s Thiago Silva
It is beginning to become a broken record when watching the Blues over the first few games. Thiago Silva is turning 38 in about a week’s time, but the Brazilian continues to put together masterclass performances at the heart of the Chelsea defense. Whenever the Blues needed a massive tackle or something to spark a counter-attack the other way, the class of Silva in the back continuously showed up. Having not played in the last Champions League match, it seemed like Silva was on a mission to will his team to a victory like he so often does with his leadership, and composure.
The Brazil legend may have made the mistake on the tackle that led to the goal, but he was one of the sole reasons among others why RB Salzburg was held to a 0.38 expected goals at the end of the day. Silva led the team in tackles with three, and seven clearances, five more than any other CFC player on the pitch against the Austrian side. 92 percent pass accuracy and 96 passes completed added another statistic that Silva led the Blues in on Wednesday night. 17 shots and only four on targets has nothing to do with Silva, and while he may have been one of the reasons for the equalizer, there was again a plethora of world-class moments as he continues to defy father time.
Mateo Kovacic
With such a stationary player in the middle of the pitch behind him, Mateo Kovacic contributed much higher up the pitch, doing all of the small things in and out of possession that may have not been recorded on the scoresheet. 73 percent of the possession was mostly because of the work rate of Kovacic, and his willingness to not give up on a play even when it may seem like a lost cause. Without Kante, the Blues needed to inject some electricity into the midfield, and Kovacic provided just that, finishing the match second on the team in total tackles.
He nearly netted a goal just before the half with sheer effort in the box. The Croatian adds so much to the Blues on both sides of the ball, and as games become more and more crucial, Potter is going to need to call on players that will do anything that needs to be done in order to outwork the opposition. His crafty pass through the backline ahead to Armando Broja almost doubled the Blues’ lead and put away the 16-time Austrian league winners. Kovacic’s performance looked to have led to reinvigorated energy amongst the midfield with the introduction of the new manager. With the break ahead, he has plenty of time to get to where he wants to be with the nagging knee injury that kept him out for quite some time at the beginning of the season.
Reece James
There are not many words in the dictionary that can describe how valuable a player James is to this Chelsea side. With a new long-term contract signed, James flew up the right side of the pitch, creating chances, and whipping in dangerous crosses for the forward players to feed on. His run and chemistry with Mount on the right wing led to the goal for Raheem Sterling just minutes into the second half. James’ quickness, touch on the ball, and strength in both the attack and defense make him arguably the first-choice for England at right-back heading into the World Cup.
The England defender is not afraid to take on defenders, and help revive this lifeless attack that looked much better against Salzburg back on the score sheet more regularly. He collected the most crosses on the team with seven, and the third most passes against the Red Bulls, dicing through the defense and pushing the Blues forward with purpose. His creativity and confidence with the ball at his feet make James such a critical player for Potter and the direction of this team for the rest of the season. His defensive solidity combined with the crossing that he continues to provide each game more than justify a new six-year deal that makes him the fourth highest-paid player on the roster.
Draws can be looked at in many ways, and while the Blues sit at the bottom of Group E after two matches of the Champions League group stage, the attitude around the team seemed to have shifted. The makings of what could be a thrilling era of Chelsea Football under Potter are there, it is just about laying that foundation now so that results will slowly begin to add up. Giving up a late equalizing goal deflates what was otherwise a dominating outing at Stamford Bridge for the west London side. Some may say it’s the same old story, and maybe it is, but it is difficult to ignore the progression of the team from its first Champions League performance this season to the one that was put together the second time around.