Chelsea beats Leeds to ease pressure on Potter
Wesley Fofana scored his first Premier League goal to ease the pressure on Graham Potter as Chelsea beat Leeds United 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.
A dismal run of one win in 11 games had led to increasing speculation over head coach Potter's position, but the Blues lifted the gloom with a much-needed victory.
Fofana's towering second-half header eased the tension as mid-table Chelsea ended a run of three consecutive defeats without scoring.
In a clash between two sides which have been so short of a cutting edge this season, it was relegation-threatened Leeds that fired another blank to suffer a first top-flight defeat under new boss Javi Gracia.
Chelsea started with a great tempo and Fofana missed a good chance to put it in front when he headed Ben Chilwell's corner over.
Kai Havertz should have opened the scoring when he was sent clear, only to be denied by Illan Meslier, before a sweeping Blues move ended with Joao Felix rattling the crossbar after Raheem Sterling picked him out from the byline.
There was a sense of deja vu as Chelsea's finishing continued to let them down, an unmarked Chilwell volleying wide from inside the penalty area.
That elusive goal finally arrived in the 53rd minute. Fofana rose highest to meet Chilwell's corner and a powerful header from six yards out gave Meslier no chance.
Leeds reacted well. A measured right-foot strike from Tyler Adams was narrowly wide while Georginio Rutter's saw an effort blocked by Kalidou Koulibaly.
Chelsea passed up half-chances at the other end, yet Leeds lacked the quality in the final third to inflict any punishment, with Meslier heading at his counterpart Kepa Arrizabalaga from a corner deep in stoppage-time.
