Graham Potter cannot wait for Chelsea's luck to change in front of goal to turn around their poor run of form.
A 1-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday was the latest in a disappointing string of results that has seen them win just one game in nine matches in all competitions since the turn of the year.
Karim Adeyemi's goal means Chelsea have a deficit to overturn at Stamford Bridge on March 7 if they are to reach the Champions League quarter-finals, though the Blues were perhaps unfortunate not to be taking a positive result back to London after an encouraging attacking display.
Potter's side had 21 shots, with eight on target, accumulating an xG (expected goals) of 2.2, while Joao Felix also rattled the woodwork. It was the most attempts Chelsea had registered in a Champions League knockout match without scoring since the 2011 quarter-final first leg against Manchester United.
Potter appreciated his team's increased attacking threat against Dortmund, but also feels there is more his side can do having now drawn a blank five times in their last nine matches.
"I don't like to use luck as something to wait for as you can't control it," Potter told reporters. "Clearly you need it.
"The Dortmund game was a positive in terms of chances created. The criticism for us and the fair criticism is that we haven't attacked as well as I would have liked us to. It was closer.
"We feel there's progress, but you play a game and you need to win it. There is a lot going on, integrating new players and all of the time playing good opponents. That's where we're at."
Despite Chelsea's recent bluntness, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has not started a game since early November with Kai Havertz largely preferred to the former Arsenal captain through the middle.
Yet Potter said of the striker: "Pierre remains an important part of his squad. His attitude has been really good.
"There's David [Datro] Fofana too who is a young player with potential. There are other forwards as well."
Chelsea will look for just a second win in 2023 when they host Southampton on Saturday, aiming to beat a side bottom of the Premier League and without a manager having sacked Nathan Jones last weekend.
Asked whether the game is a must-win fixture to keep hopes of European qualification alive, Potter replied: "It's a game we want to win. There's no point in focusing on four months away.
"We're focused on Southampton. We have to be ready for that challenge, to play at home and try to get three points.
"I thought the Dortmund performance away from home was another step forward, but we have a different challenge at the weekend. [We are] satisfied but [there is] always room to improve.
"Anything can come at you because they [Southampton] have a caretaker manager [Ruben Selles] and a week to prepare. We have no reference, that's the challenge. I think there's a big challenge coming our way."
Neymar suffers fresh injury blow
Neymar sustained a new injury as he was forced off during Al-Hilal's AFC Champions League Elite win over Esteghlal.
Aleksandar Mitrovic plundered a hat-trick on Monday to seal a 3-0 win.
But Al-Hilal's victory was soured by an injury to Neymar, who had to make way just 29 minutes after he came on as a second-half substitute.
The Brazilian, who has just returned from over a year out of action following a serious knee injury, was forced off with what appeared to be a thigh issue.
Indeed, Monday's appearance was only the 32-year-old's second for Al-Hilal since his comeback.
He has featured just seven times for the Saudi Pro League champions in all competitions since his big-money move from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.
Premier League MD10: Lucky winners and unlucky losers
We are now 10 games into the Premier League season and the table is beginning to take shape, but that does not mean there is no room for an upset or two.
On Saturday, both Manchester City and Arsenal fell to surprise defeats at Bournemouth and Newcastle United respectively.
It was only the third time since the start of 2017-18 that both of the previous season's top two teams had lost on the same day in the Premier League, after March 7, 2021 and January 14, 2023.
Pep Guardiola's champions could have few complaints about the result at the Vitality Stadium, where Andoni Iraola's Cherries won the expected goals (xG) battle by 2.04 to 1.56.
But which other games featured a lucky winner or an unlucky loser? We delve into the Opta data to find out.
Unlucky losers: Arsenal
The weekend's action began with Arsenal travelling to St James' Park to face Newcastle, with Mikel Arteta's side chasing a victory to move within a point of leaders Liverpool.
However, they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat as Alexander Isak's early goal proved enough for Newcastle to make it three wins in their last four home league games against Arsenal (one loss).
The Gunners could count themselves unlucky to come away from Tyneside with nothing, however, after limiting Newcastle to a measly 0.53 xG – 0.25 of which came from the chance for Isak's goal.
Only West Ham, who played half of their defeat to Nottingham Forest with 10 men, created a lower figure across the nine games to take place this weekend, with 0.13 xG.
Arsenal were far from their free-flowing best, though, only recording 10 attempts worth 1.05 xG themselves. They have averaged just 7.4 shots per game in their away Premier League matches this season, with only Brentford (7.5) taking fewer.
Lucky winners: Southampton
Just two teams – Wolves and Ipswich Town – remain without a victory in the Premier League after Southampton finally got off the mark by beating Everton 1-0 at St Mary's.
Russell Martin's team accumulated just 0.74 xG to Everton's 1.56, but Adam Armstrong's strike five minutes from time handed them a huge three points in their fight for safety.
While Beto, who headed against the crossbar just 25 seconds before Armstrong's winner, and Jack Harrison spurned great chances for the Toffees, Southampton were also grateful for a late VAR intervention, as the former saw a potential leveller chalked off for a marginal offside call.
It was the first time Everton had failed to score against Southampton in the Premier League since February 2022, bringing their five-match unbeaten run in the competition to a halt.
Unlucky losers: Crystal Palace
Southampton ended the weekend in 19th, above winless Wolves after they were pegged back in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at Molineux.
Marc Guehi salvaged a draw for the Eagles, who were without star men Adam Wharton and Eberechi Eze yet arguably still did enough to leave the West Midlands with all three points.
They racked up 19 shots totalling 2.51 xG to their hosts' 11, which had a total value of 1.51 xG. Palace's xG figure was the highest in the Premier League this weekend, but they were missing their shooting boots as Ismaila Sarr squandered two glorious chances when they were a goal to the good in the second half.
With both defences struggling, this was only the second Premier League game of the season to be goalless at half-time but see both sides score at least twice in the second half, after Everton 2-3 Bournemouth in August.
There could have been a fifth goal in stoppage time, too, as Jean-Phillipe Mateta saw a potential winner disallowed for a foul on Jose Sa in the build-up. Wolves – and their under-fire head coach Gary O'Neil – arguably got away with one.
Lucky winners: Chelsea
Sunday's late game saw Chelsea fight back to draw 1-1 with Manchester United at Old Trafford, denying Ruud van Nistelrooy a first Premier League win as the Red Devils' interim head coach.
Moises Caicedo's well-taken volley cancelled out Bruno Fernandes' penalty and Chelsea arguably looked the more likely victors in the second half, but they only generated 1.1 xG from their 12 attempts – and just 0.29 from six after the interval.
United, meanwhile, had chances worth 1.98 xG, though Fernandes' spot-kick – with an xG value of 0.79 – was a major contributing factor.
Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho squandered decent opportunities for United, though, and incoming boss Ruben Amorim has plenty of work to do with their attackers.
United have scored just nine goals in 10 Premier League games this season – their worst record through 10 matches of any league campaign since 1973-74 (also nine).
Fans of a certain vintage will need no reminder of what happened at the end of that season – United were relegated from the First Division, their fate sealed by club legend Denis Law scoring against them with a nonchalant backheel, while representing rivals Man City.
Dortmund injury problems mount ahead of Sturm Graz fixture
Injury-ravaged Borussia Dortmund are running out of time to recover players ahead of Tuesday's Champions League meeting with Sturm Graz, coach Nuri Sahin has said.
Dortmund, who lost last season's Champions League final to Real Madrid, are currently without forwards Karim Adeyemi and Julien Duranville, midfielder Gio Reyna and defensive trio Niklas Sule, Julian Ryerson and Yan Couto.
Despite their lengthy injury list, BVB fought back to beat second-placed RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Saturday, ending a three-game losing run in all competitions.
Ahead of Sturm Graz's visit, Dortmund are unbeaten in their last 12 home matches in the Champions League, winning eight and drawing four.
They have only lost one of their last 19 at Signal Iduna Park in the competition's group or league phase, versus Erik ten Hag's Ajax back in November 2021.
However, with goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, defender Waldemar Anton and winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens also doubtful for Tuesday's match, Sahin is concerned.
"The known absentees remain. I don't think anyone will come back, apart from Almugera Kabar," Sahin told reporters on Monday.
"We will have to see about Waldi. It will be a race against time. We did not get the green light on Greg yet. [Backup goalkeeper Alexander] Meyer has an extraordinary character.
"He is very popular in the squad and his qualities were on display at the weekend. To have a number two like that at this level is amazing."
Sturm Graz have lost all three of their Champions League games this campaign. Dortmund, meanwhile, suffered a 5-2 loss at Madrid in their last match but won their previous two against Club Brugge and Celtic.
Austria international Marcel Sabitzer, who recently returned to fitness, is particularly excited about the fixture, saying: "I come from Graz, I grew up there. I have many memories.
"Our mission is to win tomorrow, that's clear. I'm already feeling better. I'm confident that it will work out tomorrow."
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