Chelsea appointed Graham Potter as their new head coach after sacking Thomas Tuchel. The German became the second managerial casualty of the season and now the Blues boss has Arsenal in his sights as he levels up his season expectations.
Arsenal have begun the season very strongly, winning five of their opening six matches. Potter, meanwhile, takes over a Chelsea side who have spent big but not matched their ambition in the market with points on the board.
Chelsea sit five points behind the Gunners after two defeats and a draw. The pair will play one another in just under two months’ time on November 5.
READ MORE: What Graham Potter being named new Chelsea manager would mean for Arsenal and Tottenham
Potter had an excellent record against the Gunners for Brighton. The Seagulls won three of their six meetings with Arsenal under him, although Potter is tied with Arteta with two wins against one another and a draw.
In their last meeting, a win for Potter in north London ended up being critical in Arsenal’s bid for a Champions League place. Had the Gunners won, the additional three points would have granted them third place in the final standings.
"They’ve got stronger and stronger as the season has gone on,” Potter said ahead of his Brighton side’s 2-1 win over Arsenal at the Emirates. “It’s nice to see from a club perspective that the club supported him and came through that period, and they’ve had some impressive performances and results.
“They’re a young side and I am sure they’re confident that they will get better and better. They’ve done really well.”
Potter knows the challenge he faces in trying to rein in his now London rivals. He has former Arsenal club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to call upon. The Gabon striker had scored in all three of his appearances against Brighton before Potter arrived.
However, in the subsequent five appearances, he was unable to claim a goal or an assist. Potter clearly knows the tactics to prevent Aubameyang from scoring, now can he find a way to maximise his output as Chelsea desperately seek more goals from their striker?
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