Chelsea outclass Milan in Champions League to ignite Graham Potter era |

Chelsea’s Champions League campaign has its ignition point and so does the managerial tenure of Graham Potter. It feels strange to think that this was only his third match in charge of the club following his appointment on 8 September, the first having been the 1-1 draw here against Red Bull Salzburg.

That had been a strange jumble of emotions in the wake of the loss at Dinamo Zagreb and Thomas Tuchel’s sacking. But with Chelsea desperately needing a victory in the competition everything came together, the blue shirts pouring forward from all angles; Milan chased out of west London, fortunate to escape a serious beating.

It was still chastening. There is a particular kind of event glamour when it comes to Milan – the cool shirts; the sight of Paolo Maldini, the technical director, strolling the touchline before kick-off. Clarence Seedorf, the former Milan midfielder, was here as a media pundit – alongside the Chelsea icon, Gianfranco Zola, in front of the press box.

But apart from the electricity generated whenever Rafael Leão got the ball and started to run, Milan offered nothing and it was certainly jarring to see the champions of Italy defend so generously. The die was cast when Wesley Fofana opening the scoring midway through the first half following a poorly defended corner and, thereafter, Chelsea threatened to run riot.

Potter has had to feel his way into the role on the training ground and he could delight at how his players mapped the moves from Cobham on to the big stage. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added the second and it was a night when pretty much everybody impressed. Thiago Silva was pitch perfect in defence while Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek ran the midfield. But, as so often, it was Reece James who was the dominant figure.

The right wing-back drove the team, a menace to Milan with his surges and deliveries. It was his cross that teed up Aubameyang and it was fitting that he set the seal on one of the best Chelsea victories for some time with the third goal, slammed high inside the near post after a Raheem Sterling pass. It was James who the TV cameras followed at full-time, him that the home crowd saluted in song.

Chelsea had flickered at the outset against a Milan defence that missed the No 1 goalkeeper, Mike Maignan, and three of the regular back four – Davide Calabria, Simon Kjær and Theo Hernández.

Mason Mount extended Ciprian Tatarusanu but it was after a flurry of set pieces midway through the first half that Chelsea took control – four of them to be precise, each bringing a free header and worry lines for Stefano Pioli, the Milan manager. How was this happening?

From the fourth, a Ben Chilwell corner, Silva – as he had done twice previously – unloaded his header, which was pushed out by Tatarusanu and from there, it was a scramble. Aubameyang put himself about, so did Loftus-Cheek and, when the ball broke, it did so kindly for Fofana, who rolled it home.