Chelsea manager Graham Potter reserved special praise for Kai Havertz after he netted the winning goal during Tuesday’s 2-1 Champions League win at Red Bull Salzburg.
Havertz has struggled with his form throughout the current season but he produced one of his best performances yesterday as Chelsea got the better of Salzburg away from home.
Mateo Kovacic put Chelsea ahead in the 23rd minute but Salzburg levelled the scores right after the interval through Junior Adamu. The London giants made it 2-1 shortly after the hour mark.
Havertz, who is capable of producing magical moments on his day, scored with a stunning curling effort into the top left corner of Salzburg’s net. Goalkeeper Philipp Kohn was rooted to his spot.
Speaking after the 2-1 win at the Red Bull Arena, Potter was really pleased with the German star and said that he is an incredibly talented player, he told the club’s official website: “It was amazing. It makes my job a lot easier when they can do that! Great for him and I am really pleased.
“He has been fighting and trying his best, for him to score that and help us through is fantastic. His quality is there, he’s an incredibly talented player. He’s been nearly there. Scoring a goal like that is bound to help. I wouldn’t know, I couldn’t score a goal like that. It’s a fantastic strike and an indication of the quality he has.”
Havertz has scored just three goals from 15 outings for Chelsea this season. He has been in-and-out of the XI over the past few weeks and his latest display should improve his playing time.
The victory yesterday has guaranteed Chelsea’s place in the last 16 stage of the Champions League along with the top spot in Group E. Potter can afford to rest players for the final group game.
