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Chelsea fans were left frustrated as Graham Potter decided to name Mason Mount and Kai Havertz in the team's starting XI to take on Fulham on January 12. The Blues take the trip to Craven Cottage for the Premier League clash.
Kepa Arrizabalaga starts in goal for the Blues. Meanwhile, Trevoh Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Cesar Azpilicueta form the defense.
In-form Denis Zakaria and Lewis Hall are also part of the team and so are Mateo Kovacic, Mount, and Havertz. New signing Joao Felix has been handed his debut for the Blues within 30 hours of completing his loan move.
Fans, however, were bewildered to see Havertz and Mount in the lineup yet again. Both players have struggled for form this season.
Mount has scored three goals and has provided six assists in 24 appearances across competitions this campaign. Havertz has also been subpar, scoring five goals and providing one assist in 24 games this campaign.
Potter's side have struggled in recent times and are currently languishing in the 10th spot in the Premier League table.
They currently have only 25 points on the board after 17 games and trail league leaders Arsenal by a massive margin of 19 points.
A section of fans have already lost hope. They believe Potter's persistence to play Havertz from the start over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be his downfall. Others opined that with Mount and Havertz in the first XI, the team will be lucky to get a draw against Fulham.
Here are some of the best reactions across Twitter after Chelsea's lineup for the Premier League clash against the Cottagers was announced:
Graham Potter claimed managing Chelsea is the hardest job in football
Graham Potter made a bold claim ahead of Chelsea's Premier League clash against Fulham. He told the media (via The Guardian):
“This club was run a certain way for 20 years and run really well, I have a lot of respect for the previous ownership and what they achieved. Unfortunately, they’re not here any more and you’ve lost all that leadership. Everything has changed pretty quickly. We have to build things up again."
Potter added:
“I understood that things would be difficult from a leadership perspective. It is a challenge, stimulating and ridiculously hard. I think it is probably the hardest job in football because of that leadership change and the expectations."
Chelsea haven't lost in their previous 20 games against Fulham and would hope to continue the record on Thursday.
