Although Wesley Fofana’s powerful header was the first time Chelsea had scored at home since January 15 and only the second goal across seven games in all competitions, the result was still a welcome relief for Chelsea manager Graham Potter.
The victory only papered over the cracks of the performance
Chelsea secured a 1-0 victory over Leeds United on Saturday, ending an alarming run of form that had seen the club win just once in 2023. Although Wesley Fofana’s powerful header was the first time Chelsea had scored at home since January 15 and only the second goal across seven games in all competitions, the result was still a welcome relief for Chelsea manager Graham Potter. After three straight clean sheets in January and February, the head coach will hope he has found a temporary solution to cover for Thiago Silva’s knee ligament injury. Still, the victory only papered over the cracks of the performance. Despite being unconvincing, stopping the rot was all that mattered for Chelsea. The result has bought Potter time, as there is yet to be a clear sign that the players signed in January at the cost of £315 million are gelling into a cohesive unit.
Chelsea must improve their poor record of recovery when falling behind
However, Chelsea is still 11 points off fourth place in the Premier League, and their best hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League is winning the competition. Therefore, it is a make or break for Potter. While the owners’ attitudes to the manager’s long-term future have been unwavering in their support until now, they have begun to shift. Chelsea must improve their poor record of recovery when falling behind. This is when they must show character. Potter’s side has lost their last nine matches in which they have conceded first, and confidence visibly drained from the team once they went a goal down early in the second half of the 2-0 defeat by Tottenham towards the end of last month.
PSG will need a significant performance to progress against Bayern Munich
The Blues must now show they have started to turn a corner and that there is no problem with mentality, but any sense of momentum will be derailed if BVB dumps them out of Europe. The upcoming Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund will be a significant test for Chelsea. They will need to show character if they are to progress further in the competition.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe, Paris Saint-Germain’s forward, broke the club’s goalscoring record with his 201st goal for the club on Saturday. However, the attention now turns back to the Champions League, the only trophy to have evaded the Frenchman in his career. PSG will need a significant performance to progress against Bayern Munich, trailing 1-0 from the first encounter in Paris.
The French champions will likely turn to their talismanic No 7, Mbappe, for inspiration. Should PSG go out of the competition at this early stage, it would open up a wave of speculation about Kylian’s future in Paris. The player himself is adamant that UCL fortunes will not dictate his future, but Mbappe will be 25 by the time the following knockout stages come around. Mbappe will be entering his prime and would want to be at best possible club to achieve multiple European honours to match his stature. Overall, the upcoming Champions League matches will be pivotal for both Chelsea and PSG. While Chelsea must show that they have started to turn a corner and that they have no problem with mentality, PSG will need a major performance from Mbappe if they are to progress against Bayern Munich.