1) Potter facing crucial derby after poor start
Half a week is a long time in football. On Thursday, for 45 minutes, Chelsea were good enough to make Manchester City look pedestrian. On Sunday, they were so poor that City located their unstoppable mode, which had gone missing since mid-October. Chelsea are now out of both domestic cups, and in the Premier League, after scraping one win from their past eight games, they are closer to the bottom (13 points ahead of Southampton) than the top (19 behind Arsenal). Top four? They’re not even in the top four in London, with Brentford and Fulham lording it over them, never mind Arsenal and Spurs. The new owners may say the days of hire-and-fire are gone, but Graham Potter seems to be all tinkering and no rapport with his squad. If he loses at Craven Cottage on Thursday, will he still be there to face Palace on Sunday? Tim de Lisle
