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Chelsea 3-0 AC Milan: Blues produce emphatic and deserved win over Serie A giants

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Chelsea boss Graham Potter

Chelsea’s Champions League campaign kicked into gear with an emphatic and fully deserved win over AC Milan at Stamford Bridge.

New manager Graham Potter knew victory was essential after a poor start to their group phase with defeat away by Dinamo Zagreb finishing Thomas Tuchel’s reign before a draw at home to Red Bull Salzburg.

And Chelsea delivered in style, with England right-back Reece James the star man as they eventually overpowered Milan.

Wesley Fofana scored his first goal for the club after 24 minutes when Milan failed to clear a corner, although the £70m defender’s night was soon ended by injury.

The Italians almost equalised right on half-time when Rade Krunic fired over with the goal at his mercy.

It was a rare anxious moment and the second half belonged to Chelsea, and James in particular, the right-back demonstrating why he commands such faith at club level and from England manager Gareth Southgate.

James was the provider after 56 minutes when he crossed for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to apply a simple finish, then he was the finisher five minutes later with a powerful strike which flew high past Milan keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu at his near post.

Chelsea deliver for Potter

Graham Potter will be delighted with the manner of this important win, not only because it gave Chelsea the three points they needed to boost their chances of reaching the Champions League knockout stage, but it was also just the sort of victory and performance any new manager wants early in their reign.

Chelsea stuttered against Salzburg and Potter admitted they rode their luck to beat Crystal Palace on Saturday but was this a comprehensive triumph over a Milan side that rarely threatened, apart from when the pacy and talented Rafael Leao was in possession, carving out the clear chance which Krunic somehow missed on the stroke of half-time.

Otherwise, this was a tale of Chelsea domination, the night only clouded by that injury to Fofana that Potter will hope does not prove serious.

After Fofana’s opening goal, it was left to James to demonstrate exactly why England manager Southgate is prepared to ignore the lobby for Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold to get a place in the England team at right-back.

James is close to the complete defender, solid in defence and also potent in attack here, making Aubameyang’s job easy for Chelsea’s second then crashing in the third himself.

James goes about his business quietly but ability, power and attitude make him a formidable proposition.

Aubameyang finds his touch

Aubameyang may have been taken aback when Tuchel, the manager who worked with him at Borussia Dortmund and was central to his arrival at Chelsea from Barcelona, was sacked shortly after his return.

Chelsea and Potter moved to reassure the striker about his situation and he is starting to prove exactly why they were so keen to bring him back from Catalonia, where he moved after he was exiled at Arsenal.

He showed his expertise with a goal in the win at Crystal Palace and demonstrated his poacher’s instinct here with an instinctive finish from James’ cross.

Aubameyang will be a serious weapon for Potter and Chelsea if he regains top form and he looks in the mood to enjoy his career at Stamford Bridge.

Player of the match

JamesReece James

with an average of 7.78

Chelsea

  1. Squad number24Player nameJames

    Average rating

    7.78

  2. Squad number6Player nameThiago Silva

    Average rating

    7.77

  3. Squad number12Player nameLoftus-Cheek

    Average rating

    7.34

  4. Squad number21Player nameChilwell

    Average rating

    7.30

  5. Squad number29Player nameHavertz

    Average rating

    7.14

  6. Squad number8Player nameKovacic

    Average rating

    7.14

  7. Squad number33Player nameFofana

    Average rating

    7.04

  8. Squad number23Player nameGallagher

    Average rating

    6.91

  9. Squad number26Player nameKoulibaly

    Average rating

    6.86

  10. Squad number14Player nameChalobah

    Average rating

    6.82

  11. Squad number9Player nameAubameyang

    Average rating

    6.80

  12. Squad number1Player nameArrizabalaga

    Average rating

    6.75

  13. Squad number17Player nameSterling

    Average rating

    6.73

  14. Squad number18Player nameBroja

    Average rating

    6.65

  15. Squad number19Player nameMount

    Average rating

    6.61

  16. Squad number5Player nameJorginho

    Average rating

    6.40

AC Milan

  1. Squad number9Player nameGiroud

    Average rating

    6.62

  2. Squad number23Player nameTomori

    Average rating

    6.52

  3. Squad number17Player nameRafael Leão

    Average rating

    5.61

  4. Squad number4Player nameBennacer

    Average rating

    4.96

  5. Squad number21Player nameDest

    Average rating

    4.90

  6. Squad number90Player nameDe Ketelaere

    Average rating

    4.88

  7. Squad number20Player nameKalulu

    Average rating

    4.86

  8. Squad number33Player nameKrunic

    Average rating

    4.84

  9. Squad number5Player nameBallo-Touré

    Average rating

    4.83

  10. Squad number8Player nameTonali

    Average rating

    4.81

  11. Squad number27Player nameOrigi

    Average rating

    4.77

  12. Squad number1Player nameTatarusanu

    Average rating

    4.77

  13. Squad number10Player nameDíaz

    Average rating

    4.70

  14. Squad number12Player nameRebic

    Average rating

    4.21

  15. Squad number32Player namePobega

    Average rating

    4.17

  16. Squad number46Player nameGabbia

    Average rating

    3.82

Line-ups

Chelsea

Formation 3-4-2-1

1Arrizabalaga

33Fofana6Thiago Silva26Koulibaly

24James12Loftus-Cheek8Kovacic21Chilwell

17Sterling19Mount

9Aubameyang

  • 1Arrizabalaga
  • 33FofanaSubstituted forChalobahat 38′minutes
  • 6Thiago SilvaBooked at 71mins
  • 26Koulibaly
  • 24James
  • 12Loftus-Cheek
  • 8KovacicBooked at 39minsSubstituted forJorginhoat 66′minutes
  • 21Chilwell
  • 17SterlingSubstituted forBrojaat 75′minutes
  • 19MountSubstituted forHavertzat 74′minutes
  • 9AubameyangSubstituted forGallagherat 65′minutes

Substitutes

  • 5Jorginho
  • 10Pulisic
  • 13Bettinelli
  • 14Chalobah
  • 16Mendy
  • 18Broja
  • 20Zakaria
  • 22Ziyech
  • 23Gallagher
  • 28Azpilicueta
  • 29Havertz
  • 32Cucurella

AC Milan

Formation 4-2-3-1

1Tatarusanu

21Dest20Kalulu23Tomori5Ballo-Touré

4Bennacer8Tonali

33Krunic90De Ketelaere17da Conceição Leão

9Giroud

  • 1Tatarusanu
  • 21Dest
  • 20Kalulu
  • 23TomoriBooked at 42mins
  • 5Ballo-TouréBooked at 14mins
  • 4BennacerSubstituted forPobegaat 73′minutes
  • 8Tonali
  • 33KrunicBooked at 7minsSubstituted forGabbiaat 65′minutes
  • 90De KetelaereSubstituted forRebicat 65′minutes
  • 17da Conceição LeãoSubstituted forDíazat 72′minutes
  • 9GiroudSubstituted forOrigiat 73′minutes

Substitutes

  • 10Díaz
  • 12Rebic
  • 27Origi
  • 32Pobega
  • 46Gabbia
  • 83Mirante
  • 88Gala
  • 93Coubis
  • 96Jungdal
Referee:
Danny Makkelie

Attendance:
39,537

Match Stats

Live Text

Post update

Match ends, Chelsea 3, AC Milan 0.

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