Chelsea manager Graham Potter had a night to remember as his team secured a 2-1 aggregate win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League. The Blues claimed a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening, with Kai Havertz’s controversial penalty proving to be the winner. Despite missing the initial spot-kick, Havertz was given a second chance after a Dortmund player encroached before the first attempt hit the post.
Potter was delighted with the result, which came after a difficult period for Chelsea. Before Tuesday night, they had won just two games in 2023, and the Champions League clash was the first time they had scored more than one goal in a game since December 27. Pressure had been mounting on Potter, and there was speculation about whether he was the right man to take the team forward.
However, the win over Dortmund has eased some of that pressure, and Potter is now just the second English manager to qualify from a Champions League knockout tie. He has won five games in the competition this season, joining Sir Bobby Robson as the only other English manager to do so.
Speaking after the match, Potter said he was delighted with the result and praised his team’s performance. He also acknowledged that there had been a lot of emotion in the game and that it had been tense at times. However, he was pleased with how his players had responded to a tough period and said that they had been fantastic.
Chelsea will now be hoping to use this result as a springboard for the rest of the season. They have struggled to find form in recent months, despite more than £600million being spent by owner Todd Boehly since he took over last summer. However, Potter’s win over Dortmund has given fans hope that the team can turn things around and finish the season strongly.
Potter himself is not getting too far ahead of himself, however. He knows that there is still work to be done and that his team must focus on their next game against Leicester on Saturday. But he is pleased with how his players have responded to a difficult period and is confident that they can continue to improve.
Overall, Potter’s win over Dortmund was undoubtedly the best night of his Chelsea career so far. It has given fans hope that the team can turn things around and finish the season strongly, and it has also eased some of the pressure on Potter himself. While there is still work to be done, this result has shown that Chelsea are capable of competing at the highest level and that they have a manager who can lead them to success.