Five games that sealed Graham Potter’s fate at Chelsea

Potter has been sacked as Chelsea’s manager following many disappointing results that have left the Blues languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League.

It is no longer news that Graham Potter has been sacked as Chelsea manager. The Blues took the decision on Sunday evening following Chelsea’s 2-0 loss to Aston Villa on Saturday. 

Potter was appointed as Chelsea’s manager in September as a replacement for Thomas Tuchel, whose sacking was more shocking. 

However, just eight months into his tenure as the Blues’ boss, Potter has been shown the exit door at Chelsea. 

The ex-Brighton manager cannot say he did not see this coming as results have been really poor under him. 

In fact, it is more surprising that it took Chelsea this long before they decided to part ways with the English manager. 

Nonetheless, with Potter gone, we look at the matches that sealed his fate at Stamford Bridge. 

Brighton 4-1 Chelsea 

Potter actually had a good start to his Blues career, winning three and drawing two of his first five league games. 

However, the first reality check Potter would receive came at his former club Brighton Hove and Albion. 

Having joined Chelsea from the Seagulls, Potter returned to the Amex stadium to a warm reception, but his former players were not so nice, as Brighton thrashed Chelsea 4-1. 

The result kickstarted a run of poor results under Chelsea, which eventually led to Potter’s dismissal. 

Manchester City 4-0 Chelsea (FA Cup) 

In fairness, there is no shame in losing to Manchester City as Pep Guardiola’s men are arguably the best team in the world. 

However, the way Chelsea lost to the Premier League champions in the FA Cup clash at the Etihad raised concerns and piled more pressure on Potter. 

At that point, the pressure was on Potter as Chelsea were winless since the season took a World Cup break. 

But it was the performance that was more worrying, as Chelsea were flat against a second-string Pep side. 

Fulham 2-1 Chelsea [Premier League] 

Just four days after receiving a drubbing from Manchester City, Chelsea were back in action against Fulham in the Premier League. 

However, it was another disappointing result for Potter and his men, as they were beaten 2-1 at Craven Cottage. 

To add salt to the injury, Joao Felix was sent off on his debut in the match. The result was damning on all counts for Potter, who was now under serious pressure. 

Chelsea 0-1 Southampton [Premier League] 

Chelsea hosted bottom-placed Southampton at Stamford Bridge, but it was another disappointing afternoon for the Blues as the Saints claimed a shock 1-0 win. 

Although the performance was better, the result showed that the Blues’ confidence was at an all-time low. 

It also came after Chelsea had spent heavily in the January transfer window, bringing eight new players, including Felix and Mykhaylo Mudryk. 

In fairness, this should have been the final straw for Potter, but surprisingly, he kept his job. 

Chelsea 0-2 Aston Villa [Premier League] 

The Blues appeared to have picked up a bit of steam when they welcomed Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge. 

However, the Blues returned to their old ways as they left Stamford Bridge with tails between their legs after they were handed a 2-0 defeat by Emery’s men. 

It was not the result alone, but also the performance, as Chelsea did not look like a club that spent over £600m to compete with the best in Europe. 

The game turned out to be Potter’s final match, and fairly so. It was the best thing for all parties, putting Potter out of his misery. 

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