Chelsea 1-0 Leeds: Fofana became an unexpected hero for the Blues, with his goal easing Porter's embarrassment of a win-win since January. A man named Fofana saved Chelsea boss Porter from death threats. If you were asked which Fofana scored his first home goal at Stamford Bridge in two months, you would guess it was David Datro Fofana, the Ivorian striker who was lightning-fast signed by Chelsea in January.
But Wesley Fofana? You certainly wouldn't guess it was him. The centre-back, who has been plagued by injuries at Chelsea, has been criticized since signing to the £600 million Chelsea squad for £70 million. The former Leicester City player looked almost incredulous that he had scored. As he ran to celebrate with his teammates, he seemed to shake his arms triumphantly in the direction of the home players' tunnel.
Porter responded with the same gesture, whether or not Ffana was paying tribute to his underpowered coach. It doesn't really matter because for troubled manager Porter, scoring a goal is a huge goal and this win is a huge result.
The 3-0 defeat to Leeds United in August gave the Blues' new owners a firm determination to sack Thomas Tuchel. Now they want this slim but well-deserved victory, the third of their last 16 Premier League games, to be a different turning point.
If the Blues can overcome a one-goal deficit in Tuesday night's Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund to reach the last eight of the Champions League, it would be a sign of good progress.
