Graham Potter's greatest performance since becoming manager was Chelsea's victory against BVB in the Champions League. Can he make it last?

Chelsea defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 on Tuesday at Stamford Bridge to advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League and relieve some of the strain on head coach Graham Potter. Chelsea got off to a quick start in their attempt to erase a 1-0 deficit from the first leg three weeks before in Germany, but they were forced to wait for Raheem Sterling's 43rd-minute goal to break the tie.

Kai Havertz converted a penalty in the second attempt in the 53rd minute to secure a 2-1 victory overall. Referee Danny Makkelle was ordered to the monitor by VAR representative Pol Van Boekel to assess a handball by Marius Wolf, and the spot kick was then given. Havertz's first shot hit the post, but VAR determined that many Dortmund players had entered the box illegally. Havertz then scored on the retake.

Chelsea held on to a crucial win that advances them to the second straight round of Europe's top club tournament as late replacement Christian Pulisic made his first Chelsea appearance since January 5.

1. Potter had his greatest night as Chelsea's manager.

Even though Chelsea defeated Leeds United last weekend by a lone, unanswered goal, Potter was still under a lot of pressure going into Tuesday's matchup with Borussia Dortmund.

The ownership's recent massive investment in the club, which totals over £600 million, calls for a greater immediate return than the Blues have recently been able to provide. An early Champions League departure would have boosted Potter's detractors' case that the 47-year-old may not be up to the task.

On the sidelines of this game, Potter was significantly more active, often attempting to stir the fans and responding to officiating decisions with more energy than usual.

The moment when Havertz attempted to score his second-chance penalty in the 53rd minute may have been the most revealing one. Harry could only watch while seated. Even if it was sometimes difficult, this must be Potter's greatest performance since taking over for Thomas Tuchel in September.

If the domestic stumbles continue, Potter will have a concrete accomplishment to point to in the possibility of a Champions League semifinal next month. Yet he will be hopeful that the first back-to-back victories since October would turn out to be the much-needed turning point.

Have Chelsea's shooting boots been located?

Chelsea's main issue under Potter has been scoring goals. They often produced and then missed opportunities, such as when Havertz struck the post or when had the ball in the goal with a spectacular finish only to have the offside flag raised. It promised to be another really disappointing evening.

But, Chelsea were this time rewarded for their tenacity.

Raheem Sterling had a difficult first half, but he persisted and gave the home team the lead two minutes before halftime. Havertz required two attempts, but after missing the post with his first attempt due to many Dortmund players encroaching on the penalty area, he successfully converted his second attempt.

Amazingly, this was the first time since Dec. 27 that Chelsea had scored more than once in a game. That was exactly what they needed to do in order to advance, but positive performances from Joao Felix and Havertz in particular could aid Chelsea in overcoming what had undoubtedly, at least in part, developed into a psychological problem in front of goal.

3. Depleted Bellingham needs to do more for Dortmund

Dortmund's preparations were further complicated by a late arrival at Stamford Bridge, which necessitated a 10-minute delay in the start of the game. Dortmund were already missing injured key offensive players Karim Adeyemi and Youssoufa Moukoko, as well as goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

To make things worse, Julian Brandt was forced to leave the game with an injury after only five minutes, making it harder for them to maintain their first-leg lead.

Teams need their big players to stand up in these situations, and Jude Bellingham, who is just 19 years old but has already led the squad, is an important member of Dortmund's assault. Regrettably, BVB had a less than stellar night.

He was not to fault for Dortmund's elimination, but he was also unable to have the same impact on the game that has caused his suggested transfer price to soar in anticipation of a possible summer transfer to either the Premier League or La Liga.

Just before the hour, Sebastien Haller's shot struck Ben Chilwell and dropped to him from 7 yards out, giving him a wonderful opportunity to draw Dortmund even on the scoreboard. Bellingham surprisingly sidefooted it wide.

Such a prodigiously talented player will undoubtedly have a great career, but this was a night to forget.

Top and worst performers

Best are Chelsea and Kai Havertz

shrewdly linked play, had a spectacular attempt disallowed for offside, and then took advantage of a second opportunity to strike from the penalty spot to clinch a crucial win.

Mateo Kovacic, Chelsea are best.

won the midfield duel for Chelsea and set the tone for a performance that was mainly dominant as a group.

Best: Chelsea's Ben Chilwell

a consistent danger down the left side who produced an important interception just before halftime.

Jude Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund is the worst.

Around the hour mark, he missed a big opportunity and his influence was not at its peak.

Sebastien Haller of Borussia Dortmund is the worst.

unable to make an impact, managing just one shot and only 60% of his passes.

Raphael Guerreiro of Borussia Dortmund is the worst.

He mishandled the ball too often and dropped six of his ten duels.

Prominent and noteworthy events

Raheem Sterling gave Chelsea the lead in the 43rd minute, but not with the nicest of moves.

Sterling saw the ball fall tantalizingly at his feet. He took a swing at it and missed, but he made the follow-up.

After the game, the coaches and players spoke. Chelsea manager Graham Potter said, "I'm not sure! There is a lot of emotion at the end. In the end, it was stressful, but the lads played outstandingly. I'm happy for them because it's good for everyone around here that they won.

"There was a terrific vibe in the dressing room," Potter said of the outcome during a challenging stretch. We've had a difficult time, therefore this tournament means a lot to us. We wanted to advance and reach the last eight, and this prepares us for the next weeks.

According to BVB manager Edin Terzic, the energy from the crowd and Chelsea was palpable in the first ten minutes. Following that, we made a comeback, but they managed to score while we failed to. Bellingham provided us with a clear opportunity, and we just had to repel a few counterattacks. The issue is that we didn't produce anything till much later.

Jude Bellingham, a midfielder for BVB, commented on the penalty call and subsequent retake of the kick: "That is a yard or two away. I'm not really sure. I want to avoid getting into trouble. It was unsatisfactory in and of itself, but the fact that they had a retake is absurd. There will be encroachment by players sprinting into the box by a yard or so on every penalty with such a leisurely build up, but that's the nature of the game. We had to accept their choice since they had already made it.