Lessons for Chelsea from latest loss as Liverpool await

At 31, and with a wealth of experience both as a seasoned defender in Serie A and as the captain of his nation, it is simultaneously puzzling and concerning that the Senegal man still has not been able to fully settle into English football.

Away from the backline, the decision to start Mykhaylo Mudryk over Christian Pulisic or Noni Madueke, both of whom had a fantastic international break with their respective national sides, was yet another strange decision made by the now ex-manager. Notwithstanding the fact that Ukrainian missed a golden opportunity in the first half to draw his side level, he was anonymous throughout large periods of the game.

On the back of Mudryk’s performances prior to the international break, as well as his poor showing for his national side during said break, was it even a surprise that the 22-year-old failed to impress? Sat on the bench all this time was Pulisic and Madueke, the former of whom was only brought on by Potter with his side already two goals down and just ten minutes left on the clock.

The bottom line is this. As much as Potter has bemoaned time and time again the issues he has had to deal with both on and off the field, things got to point where it was getting increasingly difficult to look past him when attempting to rationalise the terrible form he oversaw. The fans were growing tired of all the excuses, valid or otherwise.