Chelsea's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal illustrated a number of things that Blues supporters did not want to see at Stamford Bridge. Just one goal separated the teams, but a poor Chelsea performance made it seem worse than that, as Graham Potter saw his team fall to a second defeat in a row in the Premier League.
It is not a common situation for the club to find itself in, but a Champions League win did separate results, and it is impossible to ignore injuries to first-team stars. It is arguable that fully fit versions of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Wesley Fofana, N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic all would have started against the Gunners if available.
Of course, a club such as Chelsea cannot have such excuses, but it is still early in Potter's tenure as Blues boss, and injuries combined with his schedule has ensured he has had little time to implement his identity on the squad. It may not have been a satisfying response, but Chelsea's head coach could only acknowledge where his side were deficient compared to Arsenal.
