“Potter killing us”, “we need to pray” – Chelsea fans frustrated as Graham Potter decides to drop 3 key players from starting XI for Wolves clash

Chelsea fans have taken to Twitter to express their frustration as Reece James, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling are benched for the Blues' match against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Graham Potter earned his first victory as Chelsea manager against Crystal Palace in the Premier League last weekend. The London giants went on to beat AC Milan 3-0 in the UEFA Champions League during the week.

The Blues will now be looking to build on their momentum when they face Wolves at Stamford Bridge today (October 8). With less than an hour to go until kick-off, Potter has named his starting XI for the match.

Potter has notably left James, Aubameyang and Sterling on the bench for his team's game against Wolves. The decision has come as a surprise to many, especially considering James and Aubameyang scored against AC Milan.

A section of Chelsea fans have thus slammed the English tactician for his decisions on social media:

It now remains to be seen if Potter's decision to drop James, Aubameyang and Sterling for the Blues' clash against Wolves will come back to haunt him.

How have James, Aubameyang and Sterling fared for Chelsea?

James has started in all but one of Chelsea's 10 matches across all competitions this season. He has scored and assisted two goals each in those matches, while also helping the team keep two clean sheets.

Aubameyang joined the Blues from La Liga giants Barcelona on a two-year deal in the summer. He has since amassed 266 minutes of playing time for the London giants, netting two goals in the process.

The Stamford Bridge outfit acquired Sterling's services from Premier League rivals Manchester City for a deal worth £47.5 million in the summer. The Englishman has since started in each of their 10 matches, leading the line for the team on most occasions.

Sterling has found the back of the net four times for Chelsea so far this season, while also registering two assists. He is the club's top scorer in all competitions as things stand, with James and Aubameyang placed second.

It is worth noting that the Blues have had an underwhelming start to their 2022-23 season. It saw the club, who sit fifth in the table with 13 points from seven league matches, replace Thomas Tuchel with Potter last month.

About the author

Dakir is a European and Indian football journalist at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 10 years. Holding a Master’s degree in Journalism & Mass Communication, and currently pursuing Master’s in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University, he is a seasoned football journalist who has interviewed the likes of former Liverpool star John Arne Riise, covered the entire 2022-23 Indian Super League season of the Kerala Blasters, and has delivered a seminar at an international conference held by St. Albert's College, Ernakulam.

Thanks to his extensive academic background in journalism, Dakir understands the importance of accuracy and spends a significant amount of time researching the subject. In today’s data-driven world of football, where players are perceived as machines, he prides himself amplify the voices of the people that make football the beautiful game that it is.

He started following football in 2013, and more specifically, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool, and admires Jurgen Klopp for his untouched charisma and unmatched legacy. A perpetual underdog supporter, he is a fan of under-fire Reds forward Darwin Nunez and can’t wait for him to show the world what he truly is. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s iconic “corner taken quickly” corner assist for Divock Origi in Liverpool’s 4-0 UCL semifinal win over Barcelona left a lasting impact on him.

When not writing, Dakir enjoys indulging in his guilty pleasure - watching mass commercial movies.

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