Chelsea fans are furious with Graham Potter after he made several changes to his starting line-up for a decisive clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday (February 26). The pressure grows on the English coach in the midst of a bad season for the Blues under his orders.
They are 10th in the league, behind the fourth-place Spurs, by 11 points. A win is vital in your city rivals. However, Potter’s starting XI has received criticism from fans. particularly his decision to pick Kalidou Koulibaly on defense over Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana.
The Senegalese defender has struggled at Chelsea since joining from Napoli last summer. He has made 22 appearances in all competitions, scoring twice, but has been in and out of the team.
Koulibaly started and played well in the Blues’ 1-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund on 15 February in the UEFA Champions League round of 16. However, he too started in his team’s 1-0 loss to Southampton on 18 February and came close to being sent off. in the first half.
Badiashile, meanwhile, has been looking good since moving to Stamford Bridge from AS Monaco last month. Meanwhile, Fofana has returned from a long injury. Both French defenders are seen as better options than Koulibaly by Blues fans.
Another decision Potter has made that has caused a backlash is his attack. Mykhaylo Mudryk joined Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk for £88.8m last month. West Londoners beat league leaders Arsenal with his signing. However, the young Ukrainian has had problems in form and will start on the bench.
There is a feeling Mudryk’s confidence will be low as he was apparently promised a regular starting role upon joining. Hakim Ziyech starts in attack despite being about to sign for Paris Saint-Germain in January.
Kepa Arrizabalaga is the chosen one in goal, with Reece James, Thiago Silva, Koulibaly and Ben Chilwell in defense. Meanwhile, Enzo Fernández and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are in midfield. Joao Felix occupies a forward position in midfield, while Ziyech joins Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling in attack.
Chelsea have lost five of their last ten games in all competitions. A fan expects it to be six in the afternoon:
“Why is he playing Koulibaly over Wes and Benoit is a skunk? Playing ziyech too A cba… If this doesn’t work then it’s over.”
Meanwhile, Potter’s starting line-up has given Tottenham the upper hand, according to another fan:
“Spurs Advantage”.
Here’s how Twitter reacted to Chelsea’s team selection for the vital clash with London rivals Spurs:
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang returns to Chelsea squad against Tottenham
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has fallen out of favor with Potter as speculation about his future grows. He has scored just three times in 18 games. Reports claim that the striker is expected to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer. A possible return to Barcelona is at stake.
The Gabonese leader has not played for Potter’s team since a goalless draw with Liverpool on January 21. He too was dropped from the Blues’ 25-man squad for the UEFA Champions League knockout campaign after a slew of new signings.
However, Aubameyang does come to the Chelsea bench against Tottenham. Given the opportunity, he will look to impress, as his team has been short on goals all season.