Graham Potter has bought himself some time.
Chelsea's win over Borussia Dortmund this evening will be a massively pleasing one for their manager, with the team booking their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Overturning a one-goal deficit to run out 2-0 winners on the night, they will certainly be pleased with their shift at Stamford Bridge.
It is a big win at a time when it was badly needed. However, it may yet only serve to delay the inevitable.
The two games entered the fixture in contrasting form. Whereas Dortmund had won every game they have played in 2023 and joint-top of the Bundesliga, Chelsea have been on a dire run under Graham Potter.
In fact, the Premier League side have won only two of their 12 fixtures since the turn of the year. They had scored only five goals during this run.
Despite this, the home side looked the more threatening of the pair in the opening stages. They created the better chances, including this effort from Kai Havertz.
How close can Chelsea get ⁉️
When your luck's out, your luck's out 🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/skII4WMMEw— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) March 7, 2023
They would get their opener before halftime.
Raheem Sterling was the man to score it, getting a second bite of the cherry having made a mess of his first effort. There would be no mistake on the second occasion.
STERLINGGG 🚀
A huge goal in Chelsea's season 🔵😍#UCL pic.twitter.com/mdRUMEGAMG— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) March 7, 2023
They would take the lead early in the second half, but the goal wasn't short on drama.
Chelsea were awarded a penalty after a lengthy VAR check, when it was adjudged that the ball had been handled by a Dortmund defender inside the box.
Kai Havertz would miss the resulting spot kick, only for VAR to intervene again after the Dortmund player who cleared the ball had encroached into the box. The German made no mistake on the second occasion.
CHELSEA HAVE TURNED IT AROUND 🔄🔙
They lead in the tie 🔵#UCL pic.twitter.com/fqOSSdVBp2— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) March 7, 2023
From this point in the game, Dortmund dominated the ball but struggled to create much in terms of scoring opportunities.
Chelsea were certainly happy to hold onto the lead they had, sitting deep and asking the opposition to break them down. Unfortunately for the German side, they were unable to do so.
Graham Potter granted reprieve after Chelsea win over Dortmund
This result will throw Graham Potter a lifeline as he fights for his future at the club.
Results have been nothing short of disastrous under his tenure, with the team's form since the turn of the year more closely resembling relegation candidates than a side who are supposed to compete at the top end of the table. Of course, that is without even mentioning the vast amount of money spent on players during the January transfer window.
A period of adjustment should have been expected after those new arrivals, although few would have expected things to have been as dire as they have.
Even when results are lacking, recently appointed managers will expect to put their stamp on their team in terms of playing style. That has not been the case at Chelsea, with the side lacking any semblance of a plan under Potter.
Their overall play in this game was severely lacking in cohesion, with very little in terms of attacking patterns or sharpness on the ball. They got the result on this occasion, but there was little else to fill you with confidence that the team was now on the mend under their current manager.
While tonight's result is a very good one, that hasn't really changed.
Chelsea missed a few chances in the opening half, but their goals ultimately came on the back of a lucky bounce in the box and a retaken penalty. They also came up against a Dortmund team that completely failed to show up on the night.
Perhaps this win will spark a bit of life into Chelsea, although there have been few other signs in recent weeks that such a turnaround was on the horizon. They are all but out of the top four race in the Premier League, meaning a deep run in this competition may be required for their manager to save his job.
This result alone will not change much for Graham Potter. It will count for very little if the club don't go on a strong run from this point in both domestic and continental competition.
Tonight was a step in the right direction, but we wouldn't bet on that being the case.
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