Chelsea thrash AC Milan 3-0 to boost Champions League knockout chances as Aubameyang scores
As the third of the night went in, Graham Potter wheeled around to face his bench, clapping even more enthusiastically than usual, he face wreathed in a huge smile.
Here it was, the statement result, the true dawn of a new era. It has been low-key so far, football in abeyance, then a disappointing draw with Salzburg; another break, then a late win at Crystal Palace, relief rather than lift-off. This was different. The champions of Italy, soundly, deservedly, beaten.
This was a result that puts a team, and its new manager, back on top. Chelsea looked everything they often are not. Decisive, clinical, potent. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored for his second consecutive game, too. What a difference a striker makes.
Chelsea led at half-time, but it was in the second 45 minutes that they took the game away from AC Milan with two goals in six minutes. Both were finished smartly, with a boldness that has often been missing for Chelsea in recent seasons. Romelu Lukaku was supposed to be the answer, but wasn’t. Aubameyang may well be. We know how he tapered off at Arsenal, but it was different for him at Barcelona, and may be here, too. He has a point to prove in English football.
And a noise for how to do it. In the 56th minute, Ben Chilwell significantly overhit a cross from the left, so much so it found Reece James on the right. The man Gareth Southgate prefers to Trent Alexander-Arnold took a touch then showed why it is not just the Liverpool man that has worth as an attacking force.
His cross was perfect, Aubameyang getting across Fikayo Tomori at the near post and finishing first time. Tomori is another Southgate seems reticent to indulge. He’s not the worst judge, England’s manager.
James was having a storming game, meanwhile, one of his best and in the 62nd minute a tackle ran fortuitously to Raheem Sterling, who instantly fed James on the overlap. The cross was on, but James went it alone, smashing a shot into the roof of the net from a tight angle.
It was that glorious finish that ignited Potter’s smile. This was the strongest performance of Chelsea’s season, probably their best performance since winning against Real Madrid – although they lost the tie. He needed it; they needed it. It’s Wolves next, then the San Siro.
He wasn’t on for long, Wesley Fofana, but he made quite the impression while he was. His first goal for his new club, and a very important one. Chelsea were in deep water entering this match. Bottom of the group with the hardest games yet to come. AC Milan are Italy’s champions. Having failed against Dinamo Zagreb and RB Salzburg, Chelsea would have to do better here. And they did.
It helped that Milan looked at their weakest against set pieces. Those who question Gareth Southgate’s judgement – an increasing number, rightly or wrongly – wonder why he doesn’t afford more time to Fikayo Tomori, holding his own in Italy at the heart of Milan’s defence. Perhaps because set pieces are such an important part of England’s armoury and Tomori isn’t that kind of soldier.
He’s certainly not the only one. Three times, in quick succession, Chelsea sent a dead ball into the Milan box, and three times the taker picked out Thiago Silva. What were Milan doing, failing to pay attention to such a vital supply line. It cost them, in the end.
Yet first, Fofana. He will have been pleased to have got the goal before limping off after 37 minutes because what preceded that important intervention was noteworthy for other reasons.
First, Fofana had tried to bring the ball out from the back sweeper-style, but had got absolutely nailed in a dangerous position almost gifting Milan a valuable counter-attack. Soon after that, when Chelsea won a corner, he had misjudged his header to such an extent the ball ricocheted off the top of his leading arm.
Yet in that misadventure came the clue to Milan’s soft spot: the dead ball finding Fofana. The ability to cut out these balls into the box would be the difference between these teams come half-time.
The next warning, on 23 minutes, a Mason Mount free-kick met by Silva’s head, forcing as excellent save from veteran Romanian goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu, who tipped it over the bar.
It was the second time the Chelsea defender had got their first. And third time was the charm. It was a Ben Chilwell corner this time, headed back across goal powerfully by Silva, forcing another save from Tatarusanu, who perhaps should have kept hold of it. A huge scramble followed with several Milan players failing to simply put their ball through the ball.
It fell to Fofana and he slipped it smartly into the corner. He likes Europe. He only scored one goal for his previous club Leicester, too, and that was in the UEFA Conference League, against Rennes.
Soon after, Fofana was gone. He came off second best in a tussle with Milan’s mighty Rafael Leao, tried to continue, couldn’t, and left the field to be replaced by Trevoh Chalobah. Milan then enjoyed their best attacking spell.
Deep into first-half injury time, a Leao cross picked out Charles De Keteleare who forced the first real save of the night from goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, keeping his place despite Edouard Mendy’s return from injury. The ball came out to Rade Krunic but his shot was deflected high over the bar.
It would have been harsh on Chelsea to go in level. They had the best of the play and the better chances. In the fifth minute, Mateo Kovacic played in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and he in turn found Mount, forcing a fine save from Tatarusanu. Mount had little luck in the 29th minute, either, running on to a good chance, his shot blocked by Pierre Kalulu.
As for Tomori, he looked solid enough, without hitting the eye-catching heights needed to make a compelling case for inclusion in the England team. He was booked, for dissent, in the 42nd minute, complaining to Dutch referee Danny Makkelie about a foul committed on Raheem Sterling by Milan team-mate Ismael Bennacer. It wasn’t the smartest move.
Defenders should save their cautions for the occasionally necessary dark arts; not chatter.
