Chelsea secured their spot in the last-16 of the Champions League with a 2-1 win over RB Salzburg on Tuesday night at the Red Bull Arena.
Graham Potter's side extended their lead at the top of Group E to continue their unbeaten start under the 47-year-old taking it to nine games (W6, D3).
After a dull opening 30 minutes, Chelsea took the lead in the 34th minute in stunning fashion. The ball came onto Mateo Kovacic’s left foot on the edge of the box and he instinctively swiped it goalwards and it found the top corner to put the visitors ahead.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should’ve doubled the lead after stunning build up play, which led Kai Havertz to find the 33-year-old. But Aubameyang was denied by Philipp Kohn, leaving him frustrated after missing a glorious chance. Havertz then had a chance to make it 2-0 three minutes later, but he could only direct his header straight at Kohn.
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Chelsea were playing liquid and fluid football in the first half, some of their best yet under Graham Potter, and nearly had a second moments before the interval. But Kohn was there again to get down low to deny Aubameyang at his near post.
RB Salzburg wanted a penalty in the first two minutes of the second half, but VAR said no. But the hosts levelled two minutes later through Junior Adamu as he tucked home a neat move from the Austrian side.
Aubameyang continued to have chances in the second half but Kohn, again, matched him to keep the scores level. Jorginho then had an effort cleared off the line by Adamu as the Blues continued to search for another goal to restore their lead.
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Chelsea finally got their second in the 64th minute. They were only doing screamers in Austria. Havertz got the ball on the edge of the area and curled into the top left corner - via the crossbar - to restore Potter’s side’s lead.
Kepa Arrizabalaga was called into action twice in quick succession, first denying Okafor’s volley before tipping away Benjamin Sesko’s low effort from distance. Thiago Silva was then required to clear off the line after Kepa was beaten to the ball in the air by Strahinja Pavlovic.
😍 @kaihavertz29 with a moment of sublime quality / @btsportfootball
Chelsea held on to the lead in Austria to see out another win which saw them confirm their place in the knockout stages which will commence in 2023.
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Now they head they head back to Stamford Bridge for one last group game against Dinamo Zagreb next week.
Here are five things Absolute Chelsea learned from Tuesday's win/loss/draw in Austria.
1) Mateo Kovacic controlled the tempo
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After coming on and having a great impact on the game against Manchester United, Mateo Kovacic was handed a start in this important Champions game, and didn’t disappoint. The Croatian scored a wonderful goal after 23 minutes, only his fifth for The Blues, and his all round game was essential to an outstanding first half performance. Replaced after 67 minutes, Kovacic was Chelsea’s best player on the night, barely putting a foot wrong in a midfield partnership with Jorginho. An injury-free Kovacic would be an important player to any team in Europe.
2) Moving the ball quicker suits the forward players
Chelsea would have been disappointed to be pegged back to level terms in the 49th minute after a dominant first half, which saw them create a number of goalscoring opportunities. A big problem against Manchester United last week was that there were not enough opportunities created. Tonight, particularly in the first half, The Blues played some outstanding, one touch football which split open the Austrian team’s defence on more than one occasion, and led to attempts on goal. If not for some wasteful finishing by Chelsea’s attacking players, they could have been in a comfortable lead going into the break.
3) Conor Gallagher finally seems to have settled
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After a shaky start to life as a Chelsea first team player after a successful loan spell at Crystal Palace, Conor Gallagher is starting to stake his claim for a regular starting role with The Blues. A confident performance on the ball, making some important forward passes to aid Chelsea’s attacking threat, the academy product showed great energy to cover the pitch to help in defensive areas as well. Gallagher’s energy on and off the ball suits Graham Potter’s style of play, and it should not come as any surprise if he makes many more starts in the coming weeks.
4) Chalobah could be making a late charge for the World Cup
After an impressive debut season in the Chelsea first team, it was always going to be interesting to see how Trevoh Chalobah would fit into Graham Potter’s plans with so many defensive players at his disposal. Chalobah has taken his chance with both hands, and with every game, looks more and more composed at the heart of the defence. He reads the game well and is confident and clever on the ball. With his current form, there aren’t too many English centre backs playing as well as him at the moment, at the elite level that he’s playing at. It would be a missed opportunity for England if Gareth Southgate doesn’t call up Chalobah, as unlike some of his regulars, the Chelsea academy product has barely put a foot wrong this season.
5) Significance of the result should not be overlooked as Chelsea quality for knockout stages
Before this game, Red Bull Salzburg were unbeaten in 40 matches at the Red Bull arena. This included a 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich in the 2021/22 season, a game in which Salzburg were 1-0 up until the dying embers of the game. To win here, playing an exciting brand of football and being able to create multiple chances, is something that will please Potter and the Chelsea faithful. This style of play wouldn’t have seemed possible under Thomas Tuchel, Potter has rejuvenated the team with a fresh approach, and given more time, Chelsea could once again be a team that no one wants to play against.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Red Bull Salzburg, Chelsea, Football, Champions League