"Job too big for Graham Potter" - Chris Sutton rips apart Chelsea, questions how much longer 'Todd Boehly will tolerate' it after Man City defeat

Former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has raised questions about Graham Potter's managerial stint after the Blues' 1-0 loss against Manchester City in the Premier League on Thursday (January 5).

Chelsea suffered their sixth Premier League defeat of the season at Stamford Bridge against Pep Guardiola's side. After a cagey first half, City broke the deadlock through Riyad Mahrez, who converted a cross from fellow substitute Jack Grealish in the 63rd minute.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Sutton said that the west London side seemed miles off their best against City. He elaborated:

"I thought they did play well in the first half, but in the second half, they were overrun. Is this what that the fans want to see where they are applauding them? They, over the past 20 years, have been a team who have won big trophies, and they look miles off it."

Sharing his thoughts on the Blues' tumultuous season, Sutton added:

"The question is how much can Todd Boehly tolerate? They go to City at the weekend in the FA Cup – if they go out there, I just wonder whether they will view this as a job too big for Graham Potter. It was a difficult pre-season for them. Thomas Tuchel wasn't happy; he ended up leaving, and it's been difficult for Potter, but this is a Chelsea team that simply aren't doing well enough."

Raising doubt over Potter's tenure in London, Sutton concluded:

"They've spent a fortune and you feel for Potter in terms of key players being out tonight – (Mason) Mount, (Ben) Chilwell, (Reece) James, (Raheem) Sterling having to come off early on. But it isn't good enough – I don't think anybody expected a win tonight; they are not the team they once were, and how long will Todd Boehly give Potter? It's so difficult to see where this is going."

Since his appointment as Blues boss, Potter has helped Chelsea to eight wins, four draws and six losses in 18 games across competitions.

The Blues have won just once in their last six games across competitions.

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Chelsea aim to add more firepower to misfiring squad in winter transfer window

Earlier this summer, Chelsea signed a whopping nine players to bolster their ranks after a timid season. They signed the likes of Raheem Sterling, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly for a combined sum of over £250 million.

Due to their frailties, the Blues have finalised three permanent deals in the winter window. The club have added Benoit Badiashile from Monaco, David Datro Fofana from Molde and Andrey Santos from Vasco da Gama for a combined fee of around £57 million.

The Blues are tenth in the Premier League with 25 points from 17 games, a massive ten points off fourth place (Manchester United).