Posted: 18:30, 11 October 2022 | Updated: 22:01, 11 October 2022
Advertising It was on this ground 11 years ago that Harry Redknapp reflected on a narrow Tottenham victory over AC Milan and declared that, no, he was not surprised. AC Milan may have been champions of Italy, Tottenham had qualified from fourth place – but the Premier League was much stronger than Serie A. It was a surprise at the time, especially among its Italian hosts. Now, no one denies it. Juventus owner sends letter to shareholders calling English competition untouchable. And Milan, champions again, concede five goals without an opponent in three halves of football against a team that sits fourth in the Premier League. Chelsea were two goals up at half-time here, to go with their 3-0 advantage at Stamford Bridge last week. Unbelievable, really, that the double header with AC Milan was built as the toughest test in the group. Chelsea fell to the bottom and a real-time scoreboard after 45 minutes here showed them on top. So much for the Milan threat. The Italians fell apart at the back, with Olivier Giroud missing some very good headed chances that should have made the difference. That’s why he’s at Milan, not Chelsea. In his place, and in place of another striker who left Milan – Romelu Lukaku, now back at Inter – is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who looks increasingly like Chelsea’s missing link. Forget his lack of involvement off the pitch – Chelsea have a host of players who can contribute in the build-up – Aubameyang comes alive with the goal on target. He scored again last night – the first time he has found the net in back-to-back Champions League games since facing Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid with Borussia Dortmund in 2017. He is making a huge impact under Graham Potter now – as he surely would have under Thomas Tuchel. However, Chelsea’s success came from the penalty spot after another save from Fikayo Tomori which suggests Gareth Southgate is not the worst judge of a defender after all. He didn’t play well at Stamford Bridge and that was a disaster. Tomori became the first English player in Champions League history to receive a red card playing against an English club. It came after 18 minutes. Milan had started brightly while doing little to trouble Kepa Arrizabalaga in the Chelsea goal. A superb pass from Reece James set up Mason Mount and Tomori, having missed him, found him again by placing a hand on his former team-mate’s shoulder. Mount tried to keep running, he couldn’t, but he fell to the floor. Referee Daniel Siebert, from Germany, pointed to the spot and then red carded. Tomori was furious, though heaven knows why. The VAR check confirmed what he should have known: penalty. There were some appeals on the edge of the penalty area – Moud and Giroud, both nailed – but then Jorginho stepped up to do it. The infamous Curva Sud did their best to dislodge him. Synchronized chants, whistling, some laser pen action. Jorginho has seen it all before here. He jumped, skipped, put the ball to the left, while the goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu flies in the opposite direction, confused. Jorginho achieved a record of a different kind: the first Italian to score against an Italian side in the Champions League since Mario Balotelli for Manchester City against Lazio in 2011. In the 33rd minute, Chelsea increased their advantage through Aubameyang. It was a beautiful move, back to front, Mateo Kovacic finally finding Mount whose little move was going to put Raheem Sterling in, until Aubameyang took it off his toes and brought it home, first time , on the net. Sterling might have taken a touch. That should do. So Aubameyang cut out the middle man, because that’s what a striker does. He celebrated with a trademark somersault in front of the Milan crowd. No worries about offending the sensibilities of those who once followed him in a Milan shirt. And good for him. Milan was rattled. They made changes, tried to reorganize the depleted defense. Meanwhile, referee Siebert was busy showing a yellow card. In came Sterling for a foul on Rade Krunic, Matteo Gabbia for a foul on Mount and Krunic for dissent. Giroud missed two headers – one, in the 27th minute, from a Brahim Diaz cross that should have equalised. Another, from a Theo Hernandez corner that was tougher, but almost impossible. And that’s the difference, right there. Giroud ultimately couldn’t cut it in English football’s elite. The standards are simply higher.
Follow Sportsmail’s live blog of the Champions League group stage clash between AC Milan and Chelsea, plus updates on all kick-off times at 8pm.
