TEN points off the Champions League places, one win in seven and now knocked out of both domestic cup competitions.
Sure, Chelsea are ravaged by injuries just now but the way in which a much-changed Manchester City side waltzed into a 3-0 half-time lead must be a cause of grave concern for Graham Potter.
The Blues boss is currently without TEN senior players yet there should surely still have been enough experience and quality on show here to at least give City a game.
A stunning Riyad Mahrez free-kick, a Julian Alvarez penalty and an outstanding passing move finished off by Phil Foden buried Chelsea by half-time to secure Pep Guardiola’s men a likely fourth-round home tie against Premier League leaders Arsenal, who face Oxford on Monday night.
Mahrez netted a late penalty – his third goal against Chelsea in less than three days – rounded off the thumping but most Blues fans were heading back down the motorway by then.
Chelsea were a shambles – with too many luxury players hardly breaking a sweat as City humiliated them with three goals in 15 minutes.
READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
Potter’s injury list is savage but World Cup players of the class of Kai Havertz, Kalidou Koulibaly and Hakim Ziyech should be embarrassed by their contributions to this debacle.
It begs the question of whether Chelsea’s players have downed tools on Potter, just four months after his arrival from Brighton.
Chelsea reached the last three FA Cup Finals – losing all three – but this year their involvement is over in early January and the Champions League now represents their final, unlikely, chance for silverware this season.
Travelling Blues fans – who honoured their former player and manager Gianluca Vialli throughout – also chanted for Potter’s predecessor, Champions League winner Thomas Tuchel.
Most read in FA Cup
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST NEW CUSTOMER SIGN UP DEALS
And they mockingly celebrated whenever their team managed a second-half shot.
It is reckoned that new owner Todd Boehly is more patient than Roman Abramovich but Chelsea cannot go on being this poor every game.
It is beginning to feel as though Potter is out of his depth.
Chelsea travel the mile to Fulham on Thursday, three points behind the in-form neighbours they are too big to even regard as rivals. If Potter is beaten at Craven Cottage, then his job will surely be in peril.
There were, unsurprisingly, a glut of changes from City’s 1-0 league win at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.
Potter, unable to rotate to the usual extent, handed a debut to centre-half Bashir Humphreys and a start to another kid, left-back Lewis Hall, while welcoming Mason Mount back from injury.
Alvarez was given his first start since the World Cup Final – and the ensuing Buenos Aires fiesta – and Guardiola also gave a rare start to England Under-21 forward Cole Palmer.
It was Palmer who had the first clear sight of goal, released by a lofted through-ball from Aymeric Laporte but shooting into the side-netting.
Still, City did not have to wait long and it was Thursday’s night matchwinner Mahrez who inflicted the damage again.
The Algerian won a free-kick almost 30 yards out and with Chelsea prepared for a cross, he curled it inside the near post with power and precision, a flick off the head of Conor Gallagher not looking as if it would make much difference.
If the first goal was a belter, the second was a brainstorm.
Foden delivered a corner from the left and the dozy Havertz raised his arm to claw the ball away from the head of Laporte.
It took VAR John Brooks to spot it and although Alvarez’s spot-kick was far from convincing, Kepa plunged to his right but could only push it on off the inside of the post.
Chelsea were crestfallen, dishevelled and shadow-chasing after that and City’s third was a classic Guardiola goal.
A sweeping passing move from left to right ended with Kyle Walker cutting back and Foden side-footing home from close range, Chelsea stretched to breaking point.
Potter made two changes at half-time – though in truth he could have used all five subs – Ivorian striker David Fofana on for a debut in place of the insipid Havertz and Denis Zakaria replacing Mateo Kovacic.
Kalvin Phillips – fat-shamed by Guardiola after his return from the World Cup – was given a trot in place of Rodri early in the second half and it felt as if the City boss had declared.
Mahrez whistled one just wide but Guardiola wasn’t in the mood to rub in any salt, leaving Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne on the bench.
Read More on The Sun
Late on, the clumsy Koulibaly floored Foden in the box and Mahrez cracked home the penalty.
What a breeze for City; what a mess for Chelsea.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
