For much of the second half, it felt like Raheem Sterling had begun his Potter tenure. With a roll of his studs to set up the ball and a spin with his right boot, the winger found the far corner of the Red Bull Salzburg net and Chelsea could sense a similar flashpoint for their Champions League campaign – after the trauma of the defeat to Dinamo Zagreb. Salzburg had other ideas. As Potter steered his players into new formations, it was a battle for consistency and the scrum would come. Thiago Silva was a case study in how to defend, a model of composure, drawing praise from the home support. Then he was wrong. The ball was his to beat on the left side of the Chelsea defense only to miss his challenge on substitute Junior Adamu and Salzburg were in. . Chelsea tried to rally but their late push was to no avail. For Potter, there was only disappointment. It was impossible to escape the subdued atmosphere that clung to the spectacle in the countdown to kick-off. the music slow and sad, union jacks hanging behind one of the targets. “HAVE Your Majesty,” read a banner. It was a pair of Chelsea pensioners who emerged first from the tunnel to lay wreaths and there were loud renditions of God Save The Queen from both ends – absent UEFA allowing the national anthem to be played over the PA system. A banner displays a tribute to the Queen at Stamford Bridge. Photo: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Potter’s entrance was the definition of low-key – out of necessity. Wearing a black suit and tie, he leaned left in the technical area, where he briefly applauded all four corners of the pitch. The response was decent. Potter’s Chelsea starting line-up featured three full-backs – Cesar Azpilicueta alongside Thiago Silva – and centre-backs Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly, who were signed in the summer for a combined £108.8m, on the bench. Ben Chilwell joined them there. What was noticeable from the early run was how high full-back Rhys James was playing on the right, which allowed Mason Mount to get in front of him and Kai Havertz to wander out of the No10 role. The system was fluid. Potter needs confidence on the ball, confidence to play out of tight situations, but Kepa Arrizabalaga almost dismissed his side with a heavy pass to Jorginho on the edge of the area. Benjamin Cesko dived to win the ball and Salzburg looked like they were in. Cescó, however, was penalized for a soft foul. The action meandered in the first half, with Salzburg continuing the physical battle, particularly through Cesko and Strahinja Pavlovic, towering figures up front and back. There was time for the home support to salute Potter’s predecessor, Tuchel, on 21 minutes. He had won Chelsea’s second Champions League title in 2021. They no longer have Super Tommy Tuchel, but he will always have a place in their affections. Potter has to win it. Start your evenings with the Guardian’s view of the world of football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. What would be a surprise on the field here? Nothing, honestly. Not with Chelsea’s history and without the events of last week, when the club’s new owners sacked a manager who won the Champions League after three defeats this season and took a calculated risk for a novice manager at this level. Chelsea tried to connect the dots before the interval, to create a very clear note. Too many times from the Chelsea side the final action was wrong or Salzburg blocked the body. James got away from Pavlovic but his cross was wide of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Raheem Sterling had his man beaten at the other end but his deliveries could not find their target. Chelsea’s best opening of the first half fell to Mason Mount. blazed wide from the edge of the area, while Arrizabalaga had to be alert to turn away a curler from Sesko. Potter slotted Sterling high and wide on the left and the effort to categorize the formation was full. It looked more like a 3-5-2 in the second half, with Marc Cucurella on the left of defense and Mateo Kovacic pushing as one of the No 8s. Havertz was left to sniff out spaces around Aubameyang, who was well away from the pace. When the breakthrough came, it was all about James’ movement – the theme of the night – and Mount’s searching cross from the right. But Salzburg will not enjoy the returners, particularly centre-half Bernardo, who missed his spot-kick and let the ball through for Sterling.
