Graham Potter has revealed he will not 'throw the players under the bus' despite Chelsea's heavy 4-1 loss against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
On the English head coach's return to the Amex Stadium for the first time since he departed in September the Blues were beaten in embarrassing fashion.
The visitors got off to a slow start, and were punished early on when Leandro Trossard put the south coast side in front after displaying some delightful footwork.
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Soon after, the lead was doubled for the Seagulls, as Ruben Loftus-Cheek diverted a corner into the back of his own goal, leaving Kepa Arrizabalaga with no chance.
Before the break, Trevoh Chalobah was on the scoresheet, but once again it came at the wrong end for Chelsea, extending the hosts advantage to three.
Kai Havertz gave the Blues some hope in the second half when he headed past Robert Sanchez, but in the 92nd minute his goal was cancelled out when Pascal Gross added a fourth for Brighton.
READ MORE: Player Ratings: Brighton 4-1 Chelsea | Premier League
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It was a woeful day at the office for Potter's side who put in their worst display under their new boss.
Previous to this, Chelsea had been unbeaten in their opening nine games since the 47-year-old's arrival, winning six times and drawing three.
Potter was looking to become the first English Chelsea manager to have gone unbeaten in his first ten matches at the club.
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He described the return to his former club as a 'painful' one in which the opposition played well in.
READ MORE: 5 Things Learned: Brighton 4-1 Chelsea | Premier League
Despite some very disappointing performances across the pitch on Saturday, Potter did not jump to criticise his players.
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Following the match he said: "It's the Premier League so everywhere is difficult. Brighton are a good side, I know that. We made a couple of unforced early errors but that can happen.
"I won't throw the players under the bus at all because they've been brilliant for me."
While to this stage the Chelsea team had been putting in some impressive displays, particularly in the Champions League, this loss is a massive cause for concern.
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It was a game where the players showed little fight when compared to their opponents, who were battling for everything.
The Blues are back in action in Europe against Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday night, and Potter will be hoping for a much improved performance.
Topics: Chelsea, Graham Potter, Brighton And Hove Albion, Premier League, Football
Sam Collins