Chelsea’s owners remain behind head coach Graham Potter despite fan discontent, and see Mikel Arteta’s early struggles at Arsenal as an example of a rebuild needing time.
The Blues travel to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday and Potter is under scrutiny following three straight draws.
Chelsea are languishing in 10th place in the Premier League but co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali are adamant they will not sway from their long-term plan, which has Potter at the heart of it.
Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel was sacked by the owners after they conducted a comprehensive review into their first 100 days at the club. But Potter has comfortably survived a similar review, and Boehly and Eghbali continue to support him in a rebuilding project centred around young players.
The approach is similar to the one taken by Arsenal, who stuck with Arteta after he twice finished eighth as he oversaw a clear-out of players to build around youth. That faith was rewarded and Arsenal are now challenging for the title.
There is similar admiration at Chelsea for the way Jurgen Klopp built at Liverpool, with the German coach needing three seasons until he challenged Manchester City.
An injury crisis and a bedding-in period for 16 new signings are accepted as reasons for the lack of identity shown by the team under Potter so far.
Potter has also impressed behind the scenes and is at the heart of a collaborative approach involving the owners and new sporting directors, with Chelsea believing stability will deliver long-term success.
