Chelsea 1-0 Leeds: Three Things We Learned

Chelsea finally managed to get back to winning ways on Saturday afternoon with a 1-0 victory over Leeds United.

These two clubs have often been seen as old rivals within the context of English football, if only because of their insane longevity at the highest level. Ultimately, it lived up to the billing with a physical and entertaining affair.

It took just one goal from Wesley Fofana early in the second half to get the job done, and today, we’re going to take a look at some of the biggest takeaways from an important day at Stamford Bridge.

Strong start

It was crucial for Chelsea to come out firing in the wake of criticism surrounding their ability to put the ball in the back of the net. They did just that, and you can make the argument that they probably should’ve been 3-0 up within the first half hour. They had to showcase more urgency and with a restless crowd behind them in the capital, they made sure to try and give them what they came to see.

Late Leeds pressure

It took a while, but Leeds did a solid job of turning in a sturdy performance. They had to defend resolutely at times and weather the storm but when we rolled around to the last 15 minutes or so, they began to turn up the heat. The boys from Yorkshire have proven time and time again that they don’t really fear anyone, and they came close on a few occasions to heaping more misery on Chelsea.

Still pressure for Potter

57% possession and 13 shots is certainly decent, but a 1-0 win over Leeds isn’t nearly enough to ease the pressure on the shoulders of Graham Potter. The Chelsea boss hailed his side’s resilience and rightly so, but given the squad he has at his disposal, this is the least he should be expecting. Moving forward, with Dortmund and Leicester to come next week, they need to try and keep this momentum going.