Chelsea 3 AC Milan 0: First Champions League win for Potter but it goes from ecstasy to agony for Fofana
BOMBED out at Arsenal, battered with a crowbar in Barcelona, Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang is finally feeling the love at Stamford Bridge.
The controversial hitman was left bewildered when Thomas Tuchel, his former boss at Borussia Dortmund, was sacked by Chelsea immediately after he’d made his debut in the opening-night Champions League defeat by Dinamo Zagreb.
But Aubameyang has found a grateful new master in Graham Potter and he netted his second goal in as many games, as Chelsea rose from a mini-crisis in Europe to wallop the Italian champions.
The PEA shooter became a pariah at the Emirates when Mikel Arteta stripped him of the captaincy for indiscipline, then allowed him to join Barca.
But after a terrifying robbery at his home, which left him with a fractured jaw, Aubameyang is showing early signs that he might end the long-running curse of the Chelsea No9 shirt which has seen a string of centre-forwards flop – most recently Romelu Lukaku.
After Wesley Fofana had notched his first Chelsea goal since a £70million move from Leicester, Aubameyang capped an excellent all-round performance by stabbing home the second to settle this match before Reece James thumped the third.
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Gone are the days when European dates against Italian opposition were occasions to admire streetwise, old-school defending.
There was plenty of schoolboy nonsense from the Milan backline, ruthlessly punished by Potter’s men.
And Fikayo Tomori – touted by many as a potential World Cup starter for England after winning the Scudetto last term – was as guilty as anyone on a shocking return to the Bridge.
But while table-topping Arsenal might not be missing Auba much, the idea that he is a rank bad apple is being tested here, after the striker had opened his account with a peachy equaliser at Crystal Palace on Saturday.
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After taking just one point from two games against Zagreb and Salzburg, this double-header against Milan had taken on huge significance for Potter – but this was comfortably the best display of his three matches in charge.
On Tuesday, the Blues will head to the San Siro – where, according to a song popular around here, Dennis Wise once scored a ‘f***ing great goal’ – full of confidence that they can advance to the knock-out stage.
Potter, rocking a Milk Tray Man look in his black suit and rollneck, selected Kalidou Koulibaly as he reverted to a back three. All because the lady loves a 3-4-3 formation with marauding wing-backs.
And Chelsea were almost in front in the fourth minute when Aubameyang laid off cunningly and Mason Mount leathered a shot towards the bottom corner only for Ciprian Tatarusanu to push it away.
There was a hairy moment for Fofana when he appeared to drag down Rafael Leao – wanted by Chelsea this summer – but ref Danny Makkelie opted for clemency.
But Chelsea were pressing high, pinning back Milan, and on 24 minutes they were in front.
Thiago Silva, who’d escaped a red card for a cynical handball at Palace, was full of it against his former club.
The 38-year-old had just relieved some Milan pressure with a wrecking-ball challenge before he surged forward and decided to get his head on everything.
From a Mount free-kick, the Brazilian’s thumping header was tipped over.
From the resulting corner, another Silva effort was deflected wide and from the next one, his header was spilled by Tararusanu and after a mad pancake-day scramble in the six yard box Fofana poked home his first Chelsea goal.
The Blues thought they had a stylish second when a gorgeous lofted pass from Aubameyang was lifted over the keeper at an angle by Mount, who was narrowly offside.
Aubameyang and Mount appear to have struck up a fine bromance already – two good players on the same frequency.
Not long after his glory moment, though, Fofana had to limp off after a tangle with Leao.
Mount then stole possession off Fikayo Tomori, the former Chelsea man who many in Italy are demanding an England starting berth at the World Cup, and fed Sterling but he was robbed by a fine tackle from Pierre Kalulu.
Yet Chelsea before half-time, and very much against the tide, the Italians should have been level.
Leao, blessed with extreme pace, went on one of his darting runs, Charles De Ketelaire had a shot saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga – preferred by Potter despite Edouard Mendy’s return to fitness.
But Rade Krunic somehow sand-wedged his shot over from six yards with the onion bag begging for it.
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Early in the second half, that miss looked even more costly when Chelsea doubled their lead, a low centre from Reece James missed by a flailing Tomori, allowing Aubameyang to stub it over the line and celebrate with a somersault.
Sterling volleyed over from another James cross but then teed up the wing-back who almost uprooted the goal in front of the Matthew Harding Stand as he comprehensively beat Tatarusanu at his near post.
