Graham Pooter’s side is yet to win a game in 2023.
Chelsea’s poor form in Premier League continues and Graham Potter is frustrated with his squad. He admitted he is frustrated with Chelsea’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at Fulham.
The Blues have now won just one of their last nine Premier League games. They lost all of their three games this year.
Joao Felix made his debut for Chelsea and in his debut game, he was handed over a red card. The former Atletic man was sent off for a rash challenge on Kenny Tete.
When Felix was sent off, the scoreline was 1-1. Later, Carlos Vinicius’ header secured the win for Fulham. It was their only second victory against Chelsea since 1979.
“It’s really frustrating, it’s incredibly challenging, it’s a tough moment, I feel for the supporters,” Potter said.
“We’re disappointed to lose tonight I thought it was a relatively even game in the first half.
“We had a couple of good chances, but I think the basics we can do a little bit better in terms of our defending and our football actions
“At the same time we get back in the game and then the red card, it’s where we’re at at the moment where things can happen for us.
“Obviously losing Denis (Zakaria) beforehand as well, so we just adjusted and then Joao was obviously having a fantastic impact on the game and you could see his quality.
“So, to lose him, and then to lose him for three matches it’s just really disappointing.”
Felix now faces three matches on the sidelines, to add to the lengthy list of players unavailable to Potter.
However, Potter does not think their was any intent in the challenge that saw Felix dismissed.
“All of them will be learning moments. Joao is a young player. He’s a top player, you can see his quality, you can see what he’s brought to the game,” the Chelsea boss said.
“I don’t think there was any malice in the challenge at all, it was a little bit high of course and then the referee has got a decision to make…he (Felix) will learn from it.
“Like I said probably more than anything (it was) fantastic from the opponent it was more (of a case of) basic actions that can be done better and that’s what we have to improve.”
The result lifted Fulham up to sixth, four points off fourth-placed Manchester United, after a fourth consecutive victory, and Marco Silva believes it was a significant moment for the fans.
“Overall I think it was a great night for our fans and they deserve it. Sixteen years without a win in this game, and Chelsea superiority in these type of games has been huge,” Silva said.
“We know they have completely different goals to ourselves, they are a massive club and their budget is completely different – we cannot compare anything but we knew that on the pitch with our work, with our strategy, with our identity, we could balance a bit more things and we did it.
“I’m sure that it was a great night for our fans and they deserve it.”
See More:
- Journalist states importance of Champions League qualification to Graham Potter’s Chelsea job
- Graham Potter claims Joao Felix cannot single handedly solve Chelsea problems
