Chelsea lost 2-1 to Fulham at Craven Cottage for the first time since 2006; Joao Felix was sent off on debut, and Denis Zakaria was injured . Graham Potter’s team remains 10th in the Premier League, with top-four hopes fading.
Chelsea was knocked out of the FA Cup third round on Sunday by Manchester City, who also ended their Carabao Cup hopes within a week of Christmas. With such a large gap between them and the top four, it appears that the Champions League is their only chance of success this season.
“We are suffering at the moment. We’re suffering, the fans are suffering. We feel for them,” said Potter. “It’s important to stick together and try to get through this tough period.”
Thursday was another frustrating evening for Potter, with Felix’s promising debut cut short by his dismissal, an injury list that grew to ten players, and defensive errors costing his team crucial points.