Chelsea 1-0 Leeds United: 3 takeaways as Wesley Fofana delivers the win

The noise around Stamford Bridge at the 53′ was truly deafening. Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell had found Wesley Fofana on a cross earlier in the game. The connection was there. As the ball smashed into the back of the net, the entire west London club sent out a huge sigh of relief.

After battling through a brutal stretch of fixtures, Chelsea finally pieced together a match that ended in three points. With Aston Villa defeating Crystal Palace at home, CFC nearly found itself in the bottom half of the table if it was not for the leaping header of the young French center back.

Without Thiago Silva, the Graham Potter opted for a back-three which included three talented defenders. Ahead of a vital matchup against a red-hot Dortmund side at the Bridge on Tuesday night, Potter’s men desperately needed some sort of momentum. CFC enacts revenge against the West Yorkshire side after one of the most embarrassing defeats of the season back in August at Elland Road.

The electricity at Stamford Bridge returned as Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana played an unlikely hero to keep the west London outfit in the top half of the table

There was an abundance of nervy moments throughout the 90 minutes, but for the Blues, the result was the only thing that mattered. Without two of CFC’s most important players, this was a win that showed quite a lot of character from a side that was regressing at an absurd rate.

After all this club has gone through this season, this was a day to remember. It takes a lot mentally to come up with a win for the first time having not known the feeling since the middle of January. The train moves on. The work does not stop. This has to be something that catapults Potter’s men into a positive run of results in the month of March.

3 takeaways from Chelsea vs Leeds United:

Back three does a sensational job without Thiago Silva

Without the Brazilian captain manning the middle of the defense of the Blues, players had to step-up. Step-up they did. Potter decided to move from a back four to a back three that featured three nature central defenders. At times, Leeds United’s attack found their way through, but at no moment did it feel as if any of the players on the backline were going to panic. It was the first clean sheet for the Blues since Feb. 3 against Fulham.

Kalidou Koulibaly was especially impressive after a tenure in west London that has been filled with bumps in the road. With Thiago Silva out, someone needed to fill the role as the experienced leader. From timely tackles to impressive recoveries, the Senegalese defender was one of CFC’s most impressive players through 90 minutes. He completed over 97 percent of his passes and led the Blues in blocks with three on the day.

Many thought the former Napoli man could be moving on from west London considering how his season went. This four-game stretch which includes three starts has brought Koulibaly back into the conversation as a consistent starter.

Benoit Badiashile, and Fofana complemented Koulibaly well on the wings, combining for a jaw-dropping 19 progressive passes between the two of them. Composed, and controlled. In a game that Potter’s men had to have, the three in the back proved the manager right in his formation change. A truly gritty display from the defense of the Blues on Saturday afternoon. A group a players that have not even much of the pitch together, it at all were able to lead CFC to an essential victory at home.

Raheem Sterling continues his impressive form since coming back from injury

Since the Raheem Sterling’s electrifying return against Southampton, the English international has not skipped a beat. He along with Joao Felix were the two most creative players going forward for the Blues as they looked to find the club’s first goal since Feb. 11 at West Ham.

If it was not for Kai Havertz’s inability to finish in front of the net, Sterling would have had his first assist for the west London side since the Bournemouth match back in December. Many of the problems that have hampered CFC has been a lack of creativity, and risk taking in the attack. Sterling has re-light that flame since his return from a knee injury.

In 67 minutes on the pitch, Sterling completed four of his six take-ons while ending his day with the more shot-creating actions than any other Blue. With more than one goal necessary for CFC to advance past the knockout stages of the Champions League, Sterling must continue this run of confidence with the ball at his feet.

Even with Mykhailo Mudryk, and Noni Madueke on the bench, Sterling has been far too good lately to leave out of the starting XI. The English international said came to CFC to win trophies, and while this season is unlikely to conclude with one, his form has eased the pressure off of Felix’s shoulders in the frontline.

Work still needs to be done

Goals are still difficult to come by. Whether it was Havertz’s missed opportunity one on one with the goalkeeper of Felix striking the crossbar, the Blues have to be able to finish those kind of chances. A set-piece goal is a step in the right direction, and the next time out, one in active play will be another step forward.

23 percent shot on target percentage is not going to get the job done. Challenging the goalkeeper equals results. The last time CFC had over five shots on target in a Premier League match was back on Jan. 12 at Craven Cottage. In league matches, the west London side has only accomplished that feat three times since September.

It is evident that the confidence in the Blues’ main No. 9, Havertz is lacking. It was not just the continuing lack of finishing in front of the net. Leeds found itself back into the game after the Blues came out firing. That aggressiveness does not stop.

With a one-goal lead, Potter chose to make more defensive minded substitutions, providing Javi Gracia’s side with the impetus to attack a team that was not keen on finding a second. The steps forward are there, but without a top-class outing by the backline, Potter could have been without a job sooner rather than later.