Saturday it seems, was one defeat too many for Graham Potter. Chelsea bested Aston Villa in most departments but not in the most crucial area as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at home. The match in many ways reflected the former Brighton manager's time in charge. The prospect of a project sounded good and the change the west London side needed but it was not meant to come at the cost of sitting 11th in the Premier League table.
From the outset, there was a degree of pause around the appointment of Potter as it was made clear early that the 47-year-old's job would not be predicated on whether the club qualified for the Champions League. That rang true when Potter retained the board's support in February when the Blues recorded a record of just a single win in 11 attempts to start 2022.
Perhaps that steadfastness shows that relieving Potter of his duties was not an easy decision. The former head coach led his side to an unbeaten March where they recorded victories over Borussia Dortmund, Leeds United and Leicester City but there was always the question of how much would be required to win supporters over, if not the hierarchy.
