Arsenal ‘keeping Graham Potter in job’ Todd Boehly sets stance on sack

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is inadvertently keeping Graham Potter in a job at Chelsea because he is living proof that managers deserve time to implement their ideas, reports claim. The Gunners boss was facing excessive calls for the sack at the beginning of last season as Arsenal sat bottom of the table after their opening three Premier League matches with zero points and minus eight goal difference.

There were even calls for his head at the end of last season as Arsenal choked a place in the top-four following back-to-back defeats to Tottenham and Newcastle in the final weeks of the campaign.

Nonetheless, Edu and the Arsenal board decided to continue backing the Spaniard and now their faith has paid off with Arteta now widely regarded as one of the best managers in world football.

According to The Mail, Arteta’s resurgence this season is one of the main factors keeping Potter in a job at Chelsea.

That’s because Arteta’s Arsenal project is understood to have been noted by the Chelsea hierarchy, who are facing calls to sack Potter with the Blues now in 10th position in the table.

It’s believed Todd Boehly is prepared to continue standing by Potter in hope that the former Brighton tactician turns things around in the last 15 matches of the season.

That said, Chelsea’s patience and position could be seriously tested if results do not improve immediately.

There is an acceptance that losing to a side that is bottom of the table – particularly at home – is simply not good enough if the Blues have aspirations of climbing back into the top four.

Potter’s future is not solely reliant on Champions League qualification with Chelsea currently 11 points adrift of Tottenham in fourth – boasting a game in hand.

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Back in September, it was widely reported that Chelsea were prepared to stick with Potter even if they finished outside of the top four.

Boehly appointed Potter with the sole purpose of kickstarting a long-term project, which is why the club are still yet to pull the trigger.

Chelsea have won just twice in their last 14 matches in all competitions as pressure on Potter begins to intensify.

Rather than ducking calls for his head, Potter has accepted that performances and results just haven’t been up to scratch as he addressed his future following Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to the Saints.

He said: “After a 1-0 defeat at home, any criticism you get is understandable. I think we’ve had a tough period and I think we’ve had lots of challenges in terms of integrating young players into the Premier League. While results don’t go your way it can be tough, that is how it is.

“I’m sure there will be people out there that think I’m the problem, absolutely. I don’t think they’re right but I’m not arrogant enough to say their opinion isn’t worth articulating.

“My job is to help the team, keep working through a team period, we’ve had to make some changes today and the truth is we took a step back in our performance in the first half. The response in the second half was good, but it wasn’t good enough.”

Chelsea travel to Tottenham on Sunday as they seek to turn their season around with victory against their London and top-four rivals.

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