Chelsea manager Graham Potter praised central defender Wesley Fofana for his performance during the 1-0 win over Leeds United. The Blues finally won a league game after a five game winless run. Fofana scored the only goal at Stamford Bridge.
The defender, who arrived in the summer transfer window from Leicester City for £75m, spent a long season on the sidelines due to an injury suffered against AC Milan in a group stage home game in the UEFA champions league.
With Thiago Silva sidelined for around six weeks with a knee ligament injury, Fofana’s return to action is a welcome boost for the Blues. The Frenchman played a key role both defensively and offensively against Leeds.
Graham Potter told the media after the match (via the Evening Standard):
“We have missed him, I think it was AC Milan’s home game when he suffered his injury and that was a long time ago. He brings something different; physical, he defends large spaces, allows us to defend a little higher up because he has the pace to recover. In the box he can attack the ball well. He is an important player for us.”
Chelsea remain in 10th place in the league despite their win against Leeds United. They currently have 34 points from 25 games and are 11 points out of the top four.
Chelsea boss Graham Potter praised Kalidou Koulibaly
Kalidou Koulibaly completed a summer transfer to Chelsea from Napoli with a reputation for being one of the best defenders in Serie A. Many expected the Senegalese to instantly become one of the Blues’ defensive leaders.
Koulibaly, however, has endured a rough patch since his arrival and has often come under fire. However, his performance against Leeds was fantastic.
Potter praised the centre-back when he told the media after the match:
“Sometimes it is not easy to land and hit the ground [running]. We all want that to happen, but it’s not as simple as that. There have been a lot of changes and transitions here, but he’s a great guy, he wants the team to do well, he cares a lot and I think he helped Wesley and Benoit. [Badiashile].
“He showed leadership and calm, which was very important to us. So I’m very happy for him.”
In 24 appearances for the Blues so far, Koulibaly has helped the West Londoners keep nine clean sheets.
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