Graham Potter’s debut as Chelsea manager couldn’t have gone any worse.
The Blues’ 4-0 FA Cup third-round defeat at Manchester City has added to the pressure on the former Brighton manager, whose troubled first few months at Stamford Bridge have shown no signs of improvement.
Chelsea’s travelling fans were heard singing the names of former manager Thomas Tuchel and ex-owner Roman Abramovich during their Etihad defeat, despite the club being 10th in the Premier League after just one win in their last eight matches and now out of both domestic cup competitions.
Former England striker Alan Shearer described the first-half display as “unacceptable”, “embarrassing” and “pathetic”, while Potter himself admitted Chelsea were “clearly suffering as a football club”.
Manchester City’s dominant performance was rewarded with a double from Riyad Mahrez and goals from Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden, raising questions about Potter’s future just four months into his reign.