Chelsea manager Graham Potter was full of praise for defender Kalidou Koulibaly following the club’s 1-0 Premier League win over Leeds United on Saturday.
The London giants returned to winning ways after six games by beating the Whites at Stamford Bridge but it was far from straightforward as they preserved a slender 1-0 advantage.
Wesley Fofana scored the winner in the 53rd minute of the contest but Potter was particularly impressed with the way Koulibaly performed at the heart of the defence for Chelsea.
The Senegalese star has had a difficult debut Premier League season but he has shown signs of returning to form in recent games. Against Leeds, he was brilliant in central defence.
The former Napoli man was a commanding presence in the middle of the back three and speaking after the game, Potter said that he was ‘really happy’ with the defender’s showing.
He told Chelsea’s official website: “With Kalidou, sometimes it’s not easy just to land and hit the ground, it isn’t as straight-forward as that. There’s been a lot of change and transition here but he’s a great guy, he wants the team to do well.
“He cares and I felt he helped Wesley and he helped Benoit [Badiashile], two young players, and he showed a leadership and a calmness which was important for us. So I’m really happy for him.”
According to Sofascore, Koulibaly had 88 touches in yesterday’s win and completed an astonishing 97 per cent of his passes. He won four duels, three tackles and blocked three shots.
The 31-year-old stepped up with a strong display in the injury absence of Thiago Silva and he will be hoping to repeat the performance against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
Chelsea are 1-0 behind on aggregate after the first leg of their last 16 tie. They have home advantage for the second leg and have a big job on their hands to defeat the in-form German club.
If the London giants are unable to overturn the tie, there could be serious question marks over Potter’s future as the club may not be playing Champions League football next season.
