Chelsea came from behind against Dinamo Zagreb to finish their Champions League group stage campaign with a victory.
The Blues had nothing riding on the match, with top spot in Group E assured before kick-off, but had much to prove following their 4-1 thrashing by Brighton on the weekend. And it looked as though it could be another miserable match for Graham Potter after some lax defending allowed Bruno Petkovic an unchallenged header in the box to make it 1-0 after six minutes.
But Raheem Sterling ended his eight-game goal drought with a composed finish to equalise soon after, before forgotten man Denis Zakaria put them ahead with a side-footed strike from Masoun Mount’s pass. Chelsea dominated from thereon in but couldn’t add gloss to the score line.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck the crossbar with a decent effort from the edge of the box, Mount saw a free-kick tipped over the bar, Conor Gallagher had two shots saved and Thiago Silva also spurned a great chance. Edouard Mendy did have to be alert to push away a downward header from Josip Sutalo, but the Blues were good value for their win.
Here are Mirror Football’s five talking points from a wet night at Stamford Bridge.
1. Wobbly start
Things did not get off to an auspicious start for Chelsea, who were caught cold by Zagreb just six minutes into the game. Every single member of the Chelsea defence was culpable.
Ben Chilwell didn’t get out fast enough to stop the cross. Cesar Azpilicueta lost his header at the back post. Petkovic ghosted in between the stationary duo of Trevoh Chalobah and Kalidou Koulibaly. Edouard Mendy was beaten by his central header.
It was a shaky start for Potter’s side, but thankfully for him Chelsea did click into gear eventually.
2. Sterling breaks his duck
Everything had been pretty rosy for Potter since he swapped Brighton for Chelsea up until the weekend humbling at his old home. Even before the 4-1 thrashing by the Seagulls, one of the minor concerns has been the lack of goals for his stable of forwards.
Coming into this game, Aubameyang hadn’t scored in the last five games, Mount only had two in 17 games – and both came in the same game vs Aston Villa last month – and Sterling had gone eight games since finding the back of the net in 1-1 draw with Salzburg on September 14. Havertz, with two goals in his past two games, was the only striker in form.
So it might have come as a relief for Potter to see Sterling keep his composure, beat his man and make it 1-1 with a measured finish into the corner. The bigger picture was summed up by Gary Lineker on Twitter : “Lovely finish by @sterling7. A return to top form before the World Cup would be very welcome.”
It should be noted that, despite his recent drought, Sterling is Chelsea's top scorer this season with five goals.
3. Worth the wait
The news cycle at Chelsea over the summer was so relentless that you’d be forgiven for forgetting that the Blues had a player on their books called Denis Zakaria. The on-loan Juventus midfielder has been forced to bide his time in west London, with Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Conor Gallagher in front of him in the pecking order.
But with N’Golo Kante injured and Potter far from settled on his favourite midfield combination there is an opportunity for the Swiss international. This was his first start for Chelsea in the club’s 18th match of the season, but the long wait didn’t ruin his night.
Zakaria was tidy on the ball, completing 39 of his 40 passes, clever in his positioning and made a conscious effort to push up the pitch when Chelsea attacked. He was rewarded with a simple finish from Mount’s deflected cut-back which hinted at his potential for the team. Fans will hope that the knock which forced him off in the second half isn't serious.
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4. Yet another formation
Unlike some managers Potter is not wedded to a particular formation. "You always consider the opponent, always consider the players that we have,” he said last month. "I think it is important to have a couple of options because the personnel will not be the same for the next 10 or 11 games, however many we have until the World Cup break. It is a really intense period where it is important to have some options.”
Potter has used a 3-4-3, a 4-2-2-2 and the Zagreb game saw him change once again, fielding an attacking 4-3-3 formation, with Mount pushing forward in the press to often leave Chelsea in a 4-2-4 out of possession and Havertz roaming at will from his nominal position of centre-forward.
After a wobbly start, which saw Chilwell too narrow for Zagreb’s opening goal, it worked nicely, with the visitors’ tiring legs helping Chelsea’s strategy.
5. One eye on Arsenal
There was nothing riding on this game for Chelsea, so it was no surprise to see Potter make a triple substitution in the 65th minute, with Sunday’s game against Arsenal no doubt in his thoughts. Off came Aubameyang, Havertz and Koulibaly and on came Gallagher, Armando Broja and Thiago Silva. Zakaria hobbled off in the 70th minute, with Loftus-Cheek his replacement.
The Gunners’ visit to Stamford Bridge this weekend is the kind of fixture which could well define Chelsea’s season. Win and, depending on other results, they could move back into the Premier League ’s top four. Lose and it will be four league games without a win, with his team at risk of being cut adrift from the top four.
6. Late injury to Chilwell
There was concern three minutes into injury time when Chilwell collapsed to the surface holding his left hamstring following a sprint.
With the World Cup now less than three weeks away, it was a cruel blow for the England left-back. Of course, we will have to wait and see the extent of the problem, but the look on the Chelsea player's face and the fact he had to be helped off the pitch by two physios while limping told a story.
