Graham Potter has come under a lot of pressure, mainly from the fans, over Chelsea’s current form. Chelsea has not won in five Premier League games for the first time since 2016 and has lost three consecutive Premier League games in a row for the first time since 2006. The Blues are in bad form, but in especially hopeless ways. The one thing Potter is solely responsible for, is defining the structure of the team to make sure that the team is not open, and he has not done that.
Many Chelsea fans did not expect their side to win against Newcastle United or Arsenal, and they didn’t. No one was confident about the Brighton & Hove Albion game, and the Blues lost that one in appalling fashion. The problems in that game stretch back to the west London outfit’s last win in the EPL, which was Potter’s third league game in charge of the Blues.
That game was against Aston Villa, and Chelsea allowed four clear-cut chances. They conceded seven shots on target, but Kepa Arrizabalaga saved them all. CFC was incredibly open in that game, having no plan for defensive transitions it seemed. The next game against Brentford saw the same thing happen, with the Blues allowing two clear-cut chances and five shots on target, but Kepa also saved them all and they managed held Brentford scoreless. the Blues had this same problem against RB Salzburg in the Champions League but few picked up on it because it of victory.
The former Brighton gaffer is not directly responsible for goals scored, goals conceded, big chances created or wins, but what he is responsible for is how they defend. Or rather if they defend, in this case. This can be measured by the quality of chances they allow. Chelsea’s shots on target against and big chances created against suggest that the Blues are not only allowing high quality chances but also allowing higher quality chances than they are creating.
Against the Seagulls, Gunners and Magpies, CFC created one big chance across all three. Yes, one in three games. Chelsea allowed eight good opportunities across those three games, and also conceded 14 shots on target, while taking 10 accurate attempts themselves.
The excuse that Chelsea is missing key players like Reece James, Wesley Fofana and Ben Chilwell and therefore there’s nothing the Englishman can do for the time being, is silly. If Potter is trying to play a certain way and most of the players he needs to make that work are injured, it’d be unwise to continue playing that way. That especially applies if it means the Blues massively open against almost everyone they play against. He cannot be blamed for all the issues at the moment yet he should definitely is at fault for elements, and style or approach is one of them.