It could have been anyone’s guess what team Graham Potter fielded at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday evening. It was an FA Cup third round tie, usually synonymous with numerous changes to the team – especially when it's back-to-back games against this fantastic Manchester City side.
Some thought Potter may have been more cautious and gone for a back-three formation to try and combat City's talented attacking players, but the Chelsea head coach opted with the 4-3-3 formation he’s used ever since returning from the World Cup break. A midfield trio of Jorginho, Conor Gallagher and Mateo Kovacic was used from the start in Manchester but they were helpless against the likes of Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden, who dominated them throughout the match.
Jorginho was sloppy in possession and was unable to play against the fierce press of the hosts, and it was a similar story for the other two. Changes were made at half-time, they needed to be, but by then the reality was, with Chelsea trailing 3-0, the damage was already done for the visitors.
