Chelsea lost to Manchester City in the FA Cup game at the Etihad Stadium for the third time this season, leaving Blues captain Cesar Azpilicueta incensed. Graham Potter made it clear what he thought of the outcome.
On January 8, 2023, in Manchester, England, Graham Potter, the manager of Chelsea, reacts during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round game between Manchester City and Chelsea at Etihad Stadium.
Chelsea’s head coach, Graham Potter, reacts during the third-round match against Manchester City in the Emirates FA Cup.
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Graham Potter experienced brief glimpses of hope following Chelsea’s loss to Manchester City in the Premier League, but after 40 minutes of play in the third-round FA Cup match at the Etihad Stadium, that feeling was most definitely gone.
The Premier League champions proved they can seize opportunities that are presented to them and skillfully create their own with goals from Riyad Mahrez, Julian Alvarez, and Phil Foden.
Even though the match was already gone when Graham Potter made his two halftime substitutions, the hosts were still able to score another penalty after Kalidou Koulibaly carelessly fouled Foden.
Mahrez converted all three of his penalty shots to score twice and give the home crowd a memorable afternoon.
As frustrations surfaced on and off the field in Manchester, songs about a former owner and manager began to emerge from the visiting team. The Blues are now in a situation where only victory can save them.
Injury list grows
While Mason Mount, who missed Chelsea’s previous game against Manchester City due to an injury, was back in the lineup for the FA Cup match, Potter’s injury list did not get any shorter. In addition to Raheem Sterling, Christian Pulisic, and seven other players, including Edouard Mendy, who underwent surgery, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang did not go with the team. The latter pair does not appear to be going on sale anytime soon.
“Christian just opened up his knee in the game the other day,” Potter said. So, we’re still doing our analysis. He’ll need several weeks to recover. In the opening minute of the game, Raheem simply had a play with a backheel that was a little off, and he felt something in his hamstring.
Frustration brewing
Things did not unfold how anyone connected to Chelsea hoped in Manchester.
The result was poor and the performance matched for the most part. Although Potter had displayed some fervor in the lead-up to the game, it’s doubtful that he was prepared for Kai Havertz to raise his arm high into the air and commit handball in his own area.
Many people weren’t even sure what had happened when VAR looked into it. It’s understandable that Potter uttered an expletive while he watched the tape. Havertz’s performance was made worse by a decision that gave the home team a 2-0 lead.