Chelsea manager Graham Potter expressed frustration after his team’s loss against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea fell behind early in the match when Ollie Watkins scored with a deft lob. John McGinn doubled Villa’s lead in the second half, ensuring that Chelsea remained winless in four home games this season, which is the most home defeats they have experienced in a single Premier League campaign.
Despite having 27 attempts and accumulating their highest expected goals value of the season at 2.1, Chelsea was unable to score. Meanwhile, Villa only had two shots on target, both of which resulted in goals.
Potter admitted that his team was “second best” in both boxes and acknowledged the need to improve on their defense. He also praised his players’ efforts and stated that there were some positive performances in the game.
“I think in both boxes we were second best,” Potter told Sky Sports after the match.
“The first goal for them is disappointing, we need to do a little bit better there.
“There are a lot of good things in the game. You look at the stats of the game and it’s a positive performance, but in terms of the scoreline, it’s not because we’re down in the game and we’re all really disappointed.
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“Ultimately you need to defend better than we did, and of course, I’m responsible for that. We need to look at that and do better.”
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Potter does not feel his players’ effort was the problem, with Chelsea having now lost and failed to score in four home games this season, their joint-most such defeats in a single Premier League campaign.
“The boys gave everything in the game,” Potter insisted. “Their intention was there, the personality on the pitch was there.
“They tried. They had shots, they had attacks, they had entries into the box.
“If you look at the stats of the game there’s a lot there for us, but ultimately the most important stat is the 2-0 defeat and we have to accept it and get better.”
Potter is hopeful that his team will bounce back when they face Liverpool at home on Tuesday, a match in which they have the chance to redeem themselves from the Villa defeat. Although he was disappointed with the result, he urged his team to move on and focus on their upcoming match.
“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We have to respond.
“We’re disappointed, everybody is. We have a fantastic game on Tuesday night to put it right.”
Chelsea will have to work hard to recover from their latest setback and improve their home form. Meanwhile, Brighton will look to build on their positive performances and earn valuable points in their bid to stay in the Premier League.
