Chelsea defeated Leeds to relieve pressure on manager Graham Potter as Welsey Fofana scored his first Premier League goal for Chelsea.
Although though Potter insisted before the game that he still had the backing of the club’s owners, they had a record of only one victory in their previous 15 games, so it seemed like three points were a necessity for him.
The Blues got out to a fast start and had a chance to go ahead 3-0 after 30 minutes.
When Joao Felix sent a long shot against the crossbar and Ben Chilwell poked wide from a great position, Kai Havertz was one on one with Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier.
Following that, Stamford Bridge began to feel increasingly familiar as Leeds overtook Chelsea and Chelsea began to fade.
Before halftime, Jack Harrison sent a free-kick over the crossbar.
Fofana, though, interrupted Chelsea’s 396-minute goalless streak when he rose to head in a corner early in the second half.
The home crowd had a stressful game’s conclusion as Leeds increased the pressure while the hosts dug deep to try to cling on for a priceless victory, but they managed to hold on to claim their second victory of the year.
After the victory, Chelsea is in 10th place, while Leeds is in 17th place and one point above the relegation zone.
The match on Saturday felt like the beginning of a vital few days for Potter, which included Leeds’ visit and a home match against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last-16 on Tuesday. Dortmund won the first leg 1-0.
It would have been difficult to see how Potter would have survived if he had lost both games, as the strain on his position grew.
Nonetheless, Chelsea generally delivered the performance Potter and the club’s supporters would have desired against a Leeds team that was struggling for its very existence and had just had a morale-boosting victory over Southampton in their last league game.
Big opportunities were again wasted, and the game had a tense end, but Chelsea’s fifth goal of the year was the game-winner.
This may be the turning point Potter needs if the Blues go on to advance in the Champions League after this.
Leeds had never felt delight apart from home.
Leeds’ dismal away performance this season has been a major contributing cause to the team’s struggles towards the bottom of the table.
Prior to traveling to Stamford Bridge, they had only won once and collected just six points, but they had easily defeated Chelsea 3-0 in the last meeting, so they must have felt confident going up against a team that was having trouble scoring goals.
But Leeds also struggle with the issue. This season, they have played a lot of wonderful football, but it frequently unravels in the final third, and once again, they failed to even bother the scoreboard.