In itself, it was an illustration of how the sheen has come off Graham Potter’s start at Chelsea that he described a 2-0 defeat as “a step forward”. Given how dismal Sunday’s loss to Arsenal was, he was correct within that context. Rewind 17 months, however, and a previous meeting of Chelsea and Manchester City ended with Thomas Tuchellifting the Champions League.
Such comparisons may feel unfair: after all, Tuchel never faced City with as depleted a team as the one Potter took to the Etihad Stadium for a Carabao Cup tie. And yet Chelsea are a short-termist club defined by an ability to win silverware and perhaps Potter’s best chance of taking a trophy to Stamford Bridge disappeared before the last-16 draw. The timing of the Carabao Cup has felt inconvenient for London’s representatives in Europe, each fatigued by their commitments on the continent, as all four went out. For Chelsea, there was the mitigating factor of having the toughest tie of all, away at the serial winners of this competition.
In isolation, it was neither a poor performance nor an especially bad result. “Today is what we wanted the team to look like. We looked a good team,” Potter said. “Their keeper got the man of the match [award], which tells you a bit of a story.” And Stefan Ortega’s excellence was notable as he repeatedly denied Christian Pulisic and Lewis Hall. It nevertheless felt like the words of a man satisfied with respectability in defeat.
Potter should not be judged on games when Hall starts, auspicious as the teenager’s display was. The reality is that Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, Armando Broja and Denis Zakaria are found in Chelsea’s second 11; of late, Potter has been hampered of late by missing half of arguably his strongest side, in Kepa Arrizabalaga, Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Wesley Fofana and N’Golo Kante.
But there are some inconvenient facts. Well as Potter has done in the Champions League, Chelsea’s last five games against Premier League opponents have brought two draws, three defeats and a mere two goals. They sign off before the World Cup at in-form Newcastle, quite possibly ending with two points in five matches, perhaps eight points off fourth.
All of which would give six weeks to assess Potter’s start, for him to plan how to turn around their season, but for judgments to be made. A handful of players have performed well for him – Arrizabalaga, James, Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah, Mateo Kovacic – but they are outnumbered by those who have not, with Kalidou Koulibaly struggling again at City. Thus far, Potter’s Chelsea have scored too few goals and few of their attackers have flourished. He has found neither a side nor a formation amid constant change. Potter seems happier with a back three but whereas Tuchel arrowed in on his best team straightaway, the same cannot be said of his successor.
Instead, he revisited his own past. As he often was at his previous club, he was praised after losing at the Etihad. “I smell and see what Graham Potter has done in Brighton and it is going to happen in Chelsea,” said Pep Guardiola.
He has long been a high-profile admirer, but there are two constituencies the Englishman has a greater need to impress. Owner Todd Boehly gave Potter a five-year deal and suggested a top-four finish was not a prerequisite, but then went from talking of giving Tuchel a new contract to sacking him in weeks.
Impatience is not necessarily confined to the boardroom. It is an understatement to say some of the Chelsea fanbase are underwhelmed. Perhaps some always were, but a first blip has rendered that more apparent. Potter can look a downgrade on Tuchel: less charismatic, less entertaining and, in terms of their respective CVs, less successful so far.
Even as Tuchel’s results suffered in his final few months, he still took Chelsea to six finals, winning three. With better penalty-taking, Chelsea would have done a domestic Cup double last season. The hat-trick of wins he masterminded over Guardiola in the spring of 2021 were signs of his pedigree as a big-game manager. Potter already has a prestigious double over AC Milan, but defeats to Arsenal and City, plus a draw where Manchester United were often superior to Chelsea, paint a different picture. Maybe it is part of a broader picture, of a decline at Chelsea compounded by confused recruitment.
Potter can argue that, less than two weeks ago, he was still unbeaten, seemingly reviving Chelsea’s season. Now he is discussing a defeat as a step in the right direction. But rarely in the last two decades at Chelsea have losses been interpreted like that. ‘Potter Out’ was trending with a small percentage of the club’s support but, unjust as it feels, it is a warning sign nonetheless. Perhaps the impending break with calm feelings. Perhaps it will crystallise them.
