The Chelsea supporters decided to salute their manager. Not their current manager, admittedly. The chant of “there’s only one Graham Potter” came from their Manchester City counterparts. The travelling Londoners, their numbers diminished by half-time departures, had chorused: “We’ve got super Tommy Tuchel”. They don’t anymore. They just wish they still did.
As Chelsea exited the FA Cup, eviscerated by City when Pep Guardiola did not even bother to deploy Erling Haaland or Kevin de Bruyne, a comparison could explain why their fans felt nostalgic. Thomas Tuchel got three wins in six weeks over Guardiola’s City. Potter has three defeats in six games. Tuchel reached five finals with Chelsea. Potter has had two knockout games and lost both, without scoring. The German has the Champions League winner’s medal but also the charisma that endeared him to the Chelsea faithful. They could boast they had him.
