Lessons for Chelsea from latest loss as Liverpool await

Chelsea took on Aston Villa at home in the club’s first match back following the most recent international break.

With the Blues sitting 10th in the league but just five points off the European places, a win against Villa was crucial if CFC were to bolster their chances of European football next season. While the home side did start off strong, a mistake from Marc Cucurella allowed Ollie Watkins an easy finish early in the first half, before a wonder strike by John McGinn from outside the area condemned the West London outfit to their 10th league defeat of the season.

It was a horrendous result which had serious implications for Graham Potter as the board’s patience was tested to its limits. Here are the lessons learnt from Chelsea 0-2 Aston Villa.

Graham Potter’s poor selection

Of all the eyebrow-raising choices that Potter made on Saturday against Villa, his decision to start with a back three of Kalidou Koulibaly, Marc Cucurella and Reece James may yet be that which seals his fate as Chelsea manager. Setting aside that Benoit Badiashile was available for selection and was instead left on the bench throughout the 90’, slotting Reece James in at right centre-back took away all the attacking impetus that the Englishman usually offers to the side. Moreover, Ruben Loftus-Cheek was largely ineffective as a right wing-back and it was Cucurella’s terribly misjudged header which led directly to Villa’s opening goal.

On Kalidou Koulibaly, despite his uptick in form prior to the international break, the Senegalese centre-back has time and again showed that he has neither the composure nor leadership required to marshall the backline. From misplaced passes to his failure to communicate with Cucurella in the mistake that allowed Watkins in to score, Koulibaly is certainly not Thiago Silva, the latter of whom was sorely missed against Villa.