sport news Graham Potter's out-of-sorts Chelsea visit a Newcastle side in RED HOT form ... trends now
Without a league win in almost a month and desperately seeking a turnaround, on paper not many tougher tasks could await Graham Potter's out-of-form Chelsea side than a trip to high-flying Newcastle this weekend.
It speaks volumes about their contrasting fortunes right now that a Chelsea win at St James' Park would almost be considered an upset. The Blues, crowned European champions just 18 months ago, are languishing in a post-honeymoon phase under new head coach Potter, who initially went nine matches unbeaten after replacing Thomas Tuchel in September.
But red flags had already emerged long before that first defeat came on October 29, when they were thrashed 4-1 by none other than Potter's old employers Brighton, meaning it was no surprise to see them capitulate spectacularly that day.
Graham Potter has suffered his first major blip as Chelsea head coach in recent weeks
The Blues suffered their third defeat in four games away at Manchester City on Wednesday
And next up for Potter's out-of-form side is a trip to high-flying Newcastle on Saturday night
Aston Villa could have inflicted similar punishment on Chelsea had they not squandered countless early opportunities before eventually losing 2-0. Brentford also caused them major problems in a derby stalemate three days later.
And Manchester United were hard done by to leave Stamford Bridge with only a point last month despite equalising in the dying seconds, such was their dominance throughout.
The point is, Chelsea had flattered to deceive in the weeks leading up to their Brighton humbling and, since being brought crashing back down to earth on the south coast, they have failed to convince supporters that better times are on the horizon.
They followed it up by scraping past Dinamo Zagreb at Stamford Bridge, having initially fallen a goal behind, before slumping to the most miserable of 1-0 defeats at home to Arsenal.
Wednesday night's 2-0 loss away at Man City in the Carabao Cup was nowhere near as dispirited, nowhere near as depressing as Sunday's showing against the Gunners.
Chelsea were threatening on the counter throughout, creating a handful of golden chances, and only had poor finishing to blame for their exit.
Potter acknowledged as much in his post-match interview, though his claim to be heading in the right direction did not sit well with some amid a run of three defeats in four games.
They produced a much more encouraging performance in their defeat at City on Wednesday
Potter was right to conclude that there are positives for him to take despite Carabao Cup exit
'I thought there were quite a few positives,' he said. 'Obviously we are disappointed with the result but in terms of how we played, we created some good chances and there was a better structure and a better performance level.
'The team looked closer to what we want it to look like. The boys had great courage and they tried against a top team.
'Their keeper got the man of the match I think, which tells a bit of the story. But overall I think it was a step forward for us.'
Potter drew criticism for these comments online but there was an element of truth to them. While the defeat obviously hurt, Chelsea's performance on the night was an encouraging one when compared to the lethargic, disjointed effort of three days prior against Arsenal, in which they
