Potter explains why he subbed Cucurella in first half of Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Man Utd

  • Man Utd start well at Chelsea
  • Potter reacts by replacing Cucurella
  • Blues switch to a back four

WHAT HAPPENED? Potter replaced Cucurella with Mateo Kovacic and moved to a back four in the first half against United, after seeing the visitors dominate the start of the match. The defender, who cost Chelsea £62 million in the summer, has now been substituted in each of his last three starts for Chelsea. Potter explained his decision after the final whistle at Stamford Bridge.

WHAT THEY SAID: "The sense in the game was that we were getting a little bit overrun in midfield and we needed an extra player in there to create a bit more pressure and stop them building their attacks, and therefore making it harder for us to build ours," he said. "It’s just a feeling I had. It wasn’t an easy decision to make at all but the boys responded really well and gave everything."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: It was a brave decision for Potter to ditch his 3-4-2-1 formation after seeing his midfield overwhelmed. The Blues did improve and thought they had won it when Jorginho made it 1-0 in the 87th minute from the penalty spot, but Casemiro popped up in stoppage time to snatch a point for the Red Devils.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

Cucurella 2022-23GettyPotter Kovacic 2022-23Getty

DID YOU KNOW? Potter is now unbeaten in his last three Premier League games against United, after losing each of his first five league matches against the Red Devils as a manager beforehand.

WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA? The Blues are at RB Salzburg on Tuesday in the Champions League and will qualify for the knockout stages with a victory.

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