In any normal situation facing a team in the bottom three during a rotton run would often be the perfect opportunity to bounce back. For Chelsea right now it is just added pressure.
Playing rock bottom Southampton at home two weeks ago was the banker, the way back into form. The 1-0 loss at Stamford Bridge appears to have sucked what little confidence there was from Graham Potter and his players.
The scrutiny on the manager, and to a lesser extent the squad at this current time, is immense. Every micro-action is being scrutinised, every decision and choice is getting the full analysis treatment. This doesn't make things easier when preparing for a game.
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The time for excuses has long gone though. Mitigating factors still remain as to why Chelsea are underperforming so much and why any fledgling signs of positivity have disappeared but come kick-off on Saturday little will matter other than winning.
When it comes to facing one of their oldest rivals there will be even less room for error. Here is a team, in Leeds, that are truly fighting for their lives. Chelsea are just looking to end the rut and to find some form of platform to build off before they face Borussia Dortmund next week in a game that is their season.
Now it is time for Potter to make a change, be bold and to stamp some authority on this side. He has tried his methods with a big squad, he has inherited stacks of new players and finally he has reverted to basics. None of it has particularly worked. The next step is to adapt once more.
Here, football.london looks at how Chelsea can beat Leeds.
Formation change
In hindsight Potter might wish he had gone all out against Tottenham. The use of situational wing-back Hakim Ziyech on the right was noticeable but not very effective. Reece James was nullified, Ziyech was isolated and very little came on the right flank.
To stop the same happening on Saturday Potter has the chance to move to a back five permanently. With James and Chilwell back it is a chance for two of their best attacking outlets to start contributing from the back once more and it will also solidify the backline that is working without Thiago Silva.
The back five does not mean defensive football either, it is merely a different way to attack. So far playing with the back four or hybrid shape has been ineffective, going back to basics with this well known system is a good base to build from.
Define the rebuild
It has been said for a while that for Potter to get fans on board he needs to not just get results - slipping up in these circumstances is understandable - but to give a clear indication of where he is going and what direction the Blues are travelling in.
Choices to continually field players that appear to have no future at the club has made the run all the more infuriating. Hakim Ziyech was nearly playing in Paris one month ago and he started last weekend. It was for tactical purposes but the logic behind fielding senior players set to leave rather than develop the future of the club is hard to understand.
Potter is, to his defence, trying to manage and assert authority on a massive squad and when things go wrong there are numerous 'answers' elsewhere that he has not used. He can, after all, nearly field three entire XIs from those he has to chose from. With the backing of Todd Boehly though there should be a freedom and excitement to his selections.
Against West Ham, Chelsea fielded seven players aged 24 or under, the most in their history. Against Tottenham there were just three. When regression in ideas and evidence of a rebuild coincides with that of poor results it becomes harder to defend and support. Against Leeds, Potter needs to be bold and to use those that he sees making an impact at the club over a prolonged period of time.
The big squad does not help but Carney Chukwuemeka's minutes, along with Lewis Hall, have all but vanished despite them being more likely to play for Chelsea next season than several players ahead of them in the pecking order. Make this change and patience will come, it's something Potter needs right now.
Exploit the wings
The Red Bull Group has a way of playing narrow football. Leeds have followed suit with Jesse Marsch and their vertical threat on the field has been one of the defining features of their largely gutsy football in the past two and a half years.
Javi Gracia used a slightly wider approach in his starting team but it nevertheless should offer Chelsea space to exploit out wide. This not only plays into the hands of the wing-back approach recommended but to the more naturally touchline hugging play of Noni Madueke and Myhkailo Mudryk.
The space in the centre is likely to be crowded, something Chelsea have been unable to play through in recent weeks, so using James and Chilwell for new outlets and taking advantage of those gaps on the wings will be a viable option here.
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