Raheem Sterling's form is something that will improve if Chelsea take steps forward as a team, suggests Blues boss Graham Potter.

The England international has struggled for goals since his move from Manchester City to Stamford Bridge ahead of the current campaign, with the winger looking to cement his place in Gareth Southgate's Three Lions plans.

An injury to club and international team-mate Reece James has seen him take on a positional change, playing at wing-back over some recent games in an unfamiliar role.

That has reduced his direct impact in attack, but Potter has suggested the 27-year-old will get back into the swing of things if the players around him also take steps forward.

"It's something we have to look at not by zooming into one person but as a team," he was quoted as saying on the club's website. "We can do better but if we do better as a team, then individuals will benefit from that so that's where the work is.

"Raheem has the flexibility, ability and quality to play in a number of positions. It's not straightforward with us losing the players we have. We're trying to constantly find the right balance and the right solutions, but he can help us."

Sterling figured at the front again for Chelsea in their 1-1 draw with Manchester United, when Red Devils defender Raphael Varane left the field in tears with a potential injury that could scupper his Qatar 2022 World Cup chances.

Potter acknowledged the looming tournament is likely to have an impact on players as they aim to avoid any issues that may prevent them from being in contention.

"I don't think it affects their performances, but they're also human beings," he added. "Somewhere subconsciously, you're thinking that in three weeks' time, there's a World Cup.

"I guess because of how close it is after the games finish, normally you would have a build-up phase and a bit more time, but we're going from competition phase to playing the World Cup within a week.

"It's incredible how it is, but we can't do anything about it. We just have to help the players as best we can and make sure they're not in dangerous situations for their own health."

Graham Potter accepted Manchester United deserved their late equaliser in Saturday's 1-1 draw as Chelsea did not do enough to take all three points.

Casemiro's 94th-minute header – United's latest equaliser in the Premier League since Zlatan Ibrahimovic struck against Everton in April 2017 – cancelled out Jorginho's 87th-minute penalty at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea were second best for most of the first half, but Potter's decision to bring on Mateo Kovacic for Marc Cucurella and switch to a back four before the break helped stem the flow.

While fourth-placed Chelsea did improve and finished with an expected goals (xG) value of 1.07, compared to 0.85 for United, Potter did not feel hard done after a draw that kept his side a point ahead of the Red Devils.

"I can't stand here and say we deserved to win. The two teams had a go and a point is about right," the Blues head coach told BBC Sport. "It wasn't from a lack of trying – the boys gave everything. 

"When you score as late as you do there's a feeling you've dropped points but over the course of the game a point is about right.

"There are lots of positives in terms of the amount of effort the boys put into the game. United were better than us for the first 30 minutes and we had to respond and I felt we did.

"When we scored, because of how hard fought it has been it is hard to control things going into the box. We have to accept the point and dust ourselves down to go again."

Chelsea have now played out five successive stalemates with United in what is the most drawn fixture in Premier League history (26 in total).

Kepa Arrizabalaga fell just short of keeping a sixth straight clean sheet, and what would have been a fourth in a row in the league for Chelsea for the first time since March 2021.

The Spain international got a hand to Casemiro's header but the ball came back off the frame of the goal and landed over the goal-line.

"Kepa was a bit unlucky but it's only just gone in and the first goal we have conceded in a while. We have to take the positives," Potter added. 

"I thought we could've attacked a bit better at times. We had chances, they had chances, so a point is about right."

Graham Potter acknowledged that difficult decisions are part of management following Erik ten Hag's handling of Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United.

Ten Hag has forced Ronaldo to train away from the first team after the Portugal international took himself down the tunnel at Old Trafford before the end of United's 2-0 win against Tottenham on Wednesday.

Ronaldo will not be in the squad for United's trip to Chelsea on Saturday following his manager's statement after the Spurs game that he would "deal with" the player's behaviour.

"I can't really comment because I don't know the ins and outs but he's taken his stance, sometimes you have to do that. Then you need the club's support. From the outside, that's what's happened," Blues head coach Potter said at a press conference on Friday.

"It's difficult for me to comment... Part of the job is to take some decisions that are difficult, but that's normal."

Since losing their first two games, including an opening day defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion when Potter was still in charge of the Seagulls, United have lost just once in eight Premier League games (6-3 at Manchester City), winning six of them.

The victory against Spurs was arguably the Red Devils' best performance so far under Ten Hag since his arrival at the end of last season, and Potter believes they will only get better.

"I think they've done well," he said. "Obviously not had a great start from their perspective, but they've battled back and they're getting points and they're playing well, so it's going to be a tough game.

"They've changed a bit in how they build up I think. More longer balls, more direct, at the same time they still have the same quality, they've got the likes of [Marcus] Rashford, Antony, [Jadon] Sancho, Bruno Fernandes plays a key role for them.

"They just seem to have adapted to the competition, adapted to each other, probably learning more about each other. It's a normal process really... I'm pretty sure they'll get better and better as time goes on."

Chelsea are unbeaten in seven games in all competitions since Potter took over from Thomas Tuchel (five wins), but have suffered recent injury blows with the news that N'Golo Kante will be out for around four months, missing the World Cup, while Reece James faces a race against time to be in Qatar and will be absent for the next few weeks.

"You have to at least acknowledge the fact they're human beings that want to be involved in that type of competition," Potter added. "The reality is I haven't got anything to say that'll make it any better for them.

"You just have to focus on the things you can control, focus on your rehab day-to-day, things get better and then you just move forward."

Bruno Fernandes' spectacular finish helped Manchester United make a statement of their top-four credentials with a 2-0 win over Tottenham in the Premier League on Wednesday.

The Portugal midfielder volleyed into the top-right corner to add to Fred's opener, lifting the Red Devils to a deserved victory over Antonio Conte's men, who they now trail by just four points.

Elsewhere, Newcastle United continued their fine start to the season and Chelsea were held by Brentford, as West Ham paid the penalty in a narrow loss to Liverpool at Anfield.

Here, Stats Perform picks out the best Opta facts from an intriguing Wednesday in the Premier League.

Manchester United 2-0 Tottenham: Fernandes continues Spurs' Red Devils hoodoo

Wednesday's headline clash saw United claim an important win over third-placed Spurs, Erik ten Hag's second win in as many home Premier League games against top-three opponents (also 3-1 v Arsenal in September).

That is as many home wins against sides in the top three as predecessors Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick managed between them in the competition.

Fernandes was the star of the show, creating nine chances – the most by a player in a Premier League match this season and most overall in the competition since Fernandes himself in September 2021 (10 v Aston Villa).

The hosts also kept Spurs' attackers quiet during a controlled display – Harry Kane has now failed to score in 13 of his 17 appearances against United in the Premier League, more than against any other opponent.

The victory is United's fourth in their last four Premier League meetings with Tottenham, the first time they have enjoyed such a run in the competition since April 2009-October 2010.

Liverpool 1-0 West Ham: Alisson and Nunez hand Reds hard-fought win

At Anfield, Liverpool built on Sunday's victory over Manchester City by clinching a 1-0 win over West Ham, extending their unbeaten run to 29 home league games (W22 D7).

Darwin Nunez headed home the only goal, which also represented Liverpool's 100th Premier League goal against West Ham – the fourth side they've reached a century against in the competition.

That goal was also the 800th West Ham have conceded in the Premier League – a tally only previously reached by Everton, Newcastle and Tottenham.

The Hammers were handed a chance to respond before the break, but Jarrod Bowen saw his penalty saved by Alisson. Since the start of the 2020-21 season, no team has missed more Premier League spot-kicks than West Ham's six.

Newcastle United 1-0 Everton: Solid Toon continue rise

Eddie Howe's Newcastle recorded a 1-0 win over Everton at St James' Park, posting their fifth clean sheet of the Premier League season – a tally only matched by Manchester City.

In truth, the Magpies' rearguard was never seriously tested: Everton's one shot in this match was their joint-worst tally in a Premier League game since data collection began in 2003-04 (also v Chelsea in November 2016).

Newcastle are sixth in the early-season standings after combining that solidity with an eye for the spectacular – only Leicester City (six) can better their tally of five Premier League goals from outside the penalty area this season. 

Match-winner Miguel Almiron, meanwhile, has netted five goals in 11 league appearances this term, matching his return from his previous 64 outings.

Brentford 0-0 Chelsea: Bees hold firm in West London Derby

Chelsea are yet to taste defeat under Graham Potter, but the Blues boss saw his team drop league points for the first time in his tenure at Brentford.

The Blues' familiar lack of creativity came to the fore as they hit the target with just five of their 14 shots (36 per cent), three of which came after the 85th minute.

Despite not starting the match, Mateo Kovacic was directly involved in seven of Chelsea's 14 shots, creating a game-high four chances as he outshone his team-mates.

However, the Croatian was unable to drive his side to a win, and Brentford have now kept consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League for just the second time – last doing so in their first two games in the competition in August 2021.

Kepa Arrizabalaga is relishing Graham Potter's faith in him after producing another excellent performance in Chelsea's 0-0 draw with Brentford on Wednesday.

Although Chelsea dropped points in the Premier League for the first time under Potter after struggling to create chances, they had Kepa to thank for preserving their unbeaten record under the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss.  

Kepa made five saves – three of them to deny Ivan Toney – as Chelsea kept their fifth successive clean sheet in all competitions.

The Spaniard – who was reportedly considered surplus to requirements under Potter's predecessor Thomas Tuchel – has been afforded a new lease on life in recent weeks, and is savouring his run in the team.

"I'm feeling very well, I'm feeling confident with and without the ball. I'm feeling like I'm helping the team when they need it, so [I'm] happy," Kepa told Amazon Prime.

"Of course, every player needs this confidence, this push, and I think for the goalkeeper it's even more important when you have continuity. 

"For a goalkeeper, when you're not playing, in training it's not the same. I have to keep going, I have to keep working. 

"We are not happy because I think they had chances, but we had chances, and the last fifteen minutes we were playing all the time in their box. Our feeling is like we dropped two points."

Kepa has now kept five clean sheets in eight appearances this season (in all competitions), while Chelsea have recorded eight shutouts in their last 11 away London derbies in the Premier League, winning nine (D1 L1).

However, Chelsea only managed to hit the target with five of their 14 attempts (36 per cent) against Thomas Frank's stubborn hosts, three of which came after the 85th minute.

Despite the Blues' lack of creativity, Potter refused to criticise his side's performance, telling Amazon Prime: "We are always disappointed when we don't win, but over the course of the game, a point is about fair. 

"We expected a really tough game. The spirit is good for us, we gave everything. It's not easy with the schedule we have, but the boys gave everything, I'm proud of them. 

"We wanted to do a little bit better in the first half, but you have to give credit to your opponent."

Chelsea looked to have been dealt another injury blow when Conor Gallagher was replaced after 15 minutes, but Potter revealed the England midfielder felt unwell and should make a swift return.

"I haven't spoken to the doctors, but he just felt ill," Potter said of Gallagher. "He thought he was going to be sick, so hopefully it's just a 24-hour thing and he will be okay."

Chelsea dropped points in the Premier League for the first time under Graham Potter after producing a flat performance in a 0-0 draw at Brentford.

Kepa Arrizabalaga continued his excellent form to keep the hosts at bay in West London, but a much-changed Chelsea side failed to carve out clear-cut chances during Wednesday's frustrating draw.

While Potter remains unbeaten in seven games with Chelsea in all competitions, the result saw him lose his perfect Premier League record with the Blues, who missed their chance to close in on the top three.

Chelsea remain seven points adrift of leaders Arsenal after failing to break down Thomas Frank's Bees, whose defensive organisation came to the fore in an impressive display.

Kepa made a strong save from Ivan Toney's header as Chelsea withstood a flurry of early Brentford corners, before Conor Gallagher limped off after just 15 minutes in a blow for the Blues.

The Spanish goalkeeper bettered that stop with a terrific reflex save after 33 minutes, clawing another Toney header away from goal after the striker latched onto a second ball in Chelsea's penalty area.

David Raya made his only save of the opening half from Cesar Azpilicueta's low drive two minutes later, before Bryan Mbeumo nodded straight at Kepa after the restart.

Chelsea improved following the introductions of Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic, but their offensive woes were summed up by Kai Havertz shooting straight at Raya after finding space in the area. 

Kepa stood firm once again to stop Toney's low effort with eight minutes remaining, as both defences refused to be beaten in an even affair.

Chelsea boss Graham Potter has rubbished reports that Denis Zakaria's loan spell could be cut short in January.

Zakaria was signed by previous head coach Thomas Tuchel from Juventus on a season-long loan deal just before the transfer window closed at the start of September.

The midfielder is yet to make his debut for the London club and has only been a substitute on one occasion in the Premier League.

It has been reported that the Switzerland international could be on his way back to Juve when the next transfer window opens, but that is news to Potter.

He said: "There's no decision been made at all on that. Denis has been in the group, he's been training well.

"He's ready to help the team, obviously there's competition for places in that area, but there's no talk of anything.

"He's an important member of the team, he's been patient and he's trying to help the team from the side at the moment and waiting for his chance."

Chelsea will make the short trip for a derby at Brentford on Wednesday in search of a sixth consecutive victory and looking for a fifth clean sheet in a row.

It has been a great start to head coach Potter's tenure, with his side fourth in the Premier League and on course to qualify for the Champions League round of 16.

Mason Mount's double secured a 2-0 win at Aston Villa on Sunday and Potter says he is bemused over why there appears to be mixed opinions on the England midfielder's credentials.

He said: "It's a joy [to work with Mount], he's a fantastic person. He loves to play football, loves the club here. It's surprising I get some questions like there's some sort of mixed opinion on Mason, I find that strange.

"Especially from the outside and then when you start to work with him, you just think he's got everything you need to be a top, top player. He's got a great attitude, understands spaces, connects, can execute, assists, scores goals. He's a top player."

Potter revealed Chelsea have no new injuries to contend with ahead of their clash with the Bees, allaying concerns Thiago Silva could be sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Chelsea head coach Graham Potter says that injured Reece James "will give everything" in his race to make England's World Cup squad.

The defender has been sidelined for eight weeks after sustaining a knee injury during the Blues' Champions League victory over Milan on Tuesday.

But the 23-year-old is clinging onto his hopes of playing at the World Cup, which begins on November 21 with England opening their campaign against Iran.

While Potter is unsure on James' chances of appearing in Qatar, the Chelsea boss insists the full-back will not give up without a fight.

"In terms of his involvement in the World Cup, I don’t know. It will depend on how he recovers," he said following the Blues' 2-0 victory over Aston Villa. 

"He will give everything. I'm sure he will. But he is in a brace for four weeks and that slows everything down.

"He's naturally disappointed, naturally upset because he's injured for us. He misses games for us when he was in a fantastic moment.

"His performance at Milan was incredible in both games, so he's got himself into a real good moment of form and as you can imagine, he's really disappointed to be injured.

"He'll fight, try his best to get back as quickly as he can and when he is, he will be a top, top player.

"It wouldn't be my place to predict what's going to happen. He will be in a brace for four weeks, and that has implications in terms of what he needs to do to get fit from there, but our job is just to help him in the short term now and get him back."

Chelsea's resurgence under Potter continued with the 2-0 win at Villa Park, the former Brighton boss masterminding five successive victories for the first time in his managerial career.

Meanwhile, the Blues have recorded four successive triumphs across all competitions without conceding, while doing so consecutively in the Premier League for the first time since March.

"I think it's a collective desire to do the ugly stuff in the game; a collective idea to help each other and to be together," Potter said.

"If we have to suffer, we will suffer. We have humility, and we know sometimes the opponent can get the better of us, that is normal in football.

"But you can see the players running and can see players getting bodies in the way to block shots. That is an important part of the game because we've got the quality in the group."

Chelsea coach Graham Potter said Aston Villa made his side "suffer" as both he and goalscorer Mason Mount paid tribute to Kepa Arrizabalaga's masterful performance in their 2-0 victory.

The Blues kept their unbeaten record under the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss with a Premier League win at Villa Park, secured through Mount's brace.

But the visitors spent long stretches on the ropes, particularly in the first half, by a relentless slew of counter-attacks from Steven Gerrard's side, with Kepa called upon to make a flurry of superb saves.

Having stepped into the starting line-up at the end of Thomas Tuchel's tenure to replace the injured Edouard Mendy, the Spaniard has kept his place amid excellent form, and Potter was quick to hail him as key to their victory.

"It was a tough game," Potter told Sky Sports. "Aston Villa made us suffer, especially in the first half even though we took the lead. They put us under pressure, and our goalkeeper made some good saves.

"It was a world-class performance, especially in the first half. I'm really pleased for him. He has had a tough period for us at times, but he contributed to the game."

Mount, whose first finish came from a defensive mistake by Tyrone Mings, with his second a beautiful free-kick, concurred with Potter's assessment.

"Kepa was on fire, and his quick saves kept us in the game," he added. "He has been brilliant over the last couple of weeks.

"We have to keep pushing and keep winning games – that's our goal to finish as high as we can. Today was not the best performance, and we're not happy with it, but [we have] come away with a 2-0 win."

Mount's double came in front of England manager Gareth Southgate, who was watching at Villa Park but did not get to see World Cup injury doubt Reece James.

Three Lions midfielder Mount acknowledged he had done his chances of making the starting XI for the finals in Qatar no harm, adding: "I have to just keep focused on doing well for the club.

"We know there's a massive World Cup around the corner, and you want to play as well as you can going into it and hopefully get picked."

Potter also praised his playmaker, adding: "We believe in Mason Mount a lot. We love him as a player, and he is a great guy. You can see the influence he has on the team, and he works really hard for us."

Chelsea head coach Graham Potter has given his backing to Steven Gerrard following a poor start to the season for Aston Villa.

Villa have won just two of their opening nine Premier League matches, sitting just three points above the relegation zone with only Wolves having scoring fewer than their goal tally of seven.

That has resulted in boss Gerrard coming under pressure, with speculation that Villa could move on from the former Liverpool captain if results do not improve.

Potter has made it clear that the situation can change swiftly, adding that there is "always somebody under pressure" in England's top flight.

"The margins are very small in the Premier League - I'm sure Steven will want to improve their results," he said ahead of Chelsea's trip to Villa on Sunday.

"If they had beaten Forest they would have gone above Liverpool so that shows you how quick things change.

"There's always somebody under pressure in the Premier League and at the moment it's Steven."

Reece James is set to see a specialist this weekend to assess the injury he suffered in Chelsea's midweek victory over Milan, amid reports he could miss the upcoming World Cup.

James was forced off in the victory at San Siro and the Daily Mail has subsequently reported he sustained ligament damage, which could rule him out for between six and eight weeks.

Chelsea boss Graham Potter was questioned on James' situation ahead of Sunday's meeting with Aston Villa, but was unable to provide a definitive timeframe for the defender's recovery.

"Reece is due to see a specialist over the weekend so until we get that information there's not too much I can add. We will wait and see," Potter said in Friday's news conference.

"There's discomfort so we just need to check and see a specialist.

"When we spoke yesterday he didn't feel so bad, but you need to get things checked and see the way forward."

Any long-term absence for James would represent a severe blow for Gareth Southgate's England, particularly with fellow right-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kyle Walker also battling injuries.

Chelsea will also be without N'Golo Kante and Wesley Fofana for Sunday's clash against Villa, and Potter provided an update on the pair.

"Kante is due to see a consultant at the weekend. It's a setback and it's not good news. But at this stage, I can't give you anything more," he added.

"Fofana is progressing where he was. I don't think we'll see him before the World Cup."

Graham Potter saluted a "fantastic" Chelsea performance after the Blues moved to the Group E summit in the Champions League following a 2-0 victory over Milan.

First-half goals from Jorginho and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang proved enough to sink the Rossoneri, who played 72 minutes at San Siro with 10 men following Fikayo Tomori's early red card.

That ended the Blues' 19-year wait for a win on Italian soil in Europe's premier club competition, with their most recent triumph coming courtesy of a resounding 4-0 success against Lazio in November 2003.

"To come here and win is not easy. Credit to the players, they were really good," Potter told BT Sport. "We had a bit of luck with the opposition going down to 10 men.

"Overall, the performance was good. It's nice to keep a clean sheet and to come away with three points is fantastic."

Potter also explained the half-time substitution of Mason Mount, who was fouled for the penalty that saw Jorginho break the deadlock before providing a neat lay-off for Aubameyang to tuck away the second goal. 

"[Mount] was on a yellow card, and he's played a lot of football so at half-time, we gave him a breather," Potter added. 

"He was fantastic; he was a constant threat. I've been really pleased with him from the start. He's a really important player."

Meanwhile, Mount hopes Chelsea can continue to move "in the right direction" after making it four successive wins under Potter, who replaced Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge last month, while the Blues have also kept three straight clean sheets.

"I feel good. I'm enjoying it, and we’re playing well and scoring goals. I'll take the assists, setting up goals for my team-mates," the England international said.

"[Playing under Potter has] been brilliant. You can see the way we've played. We're an attacking threat going forward and solid at the back. We're obviously going in the right direction, and I hope it continues."

Thiago Silva is a "joy" to coach, says Chelsea boss Graham Potter, as the Brazil captain eyes a return to action against former club Milan in the Champions League this week.

The experienced defender missed the Blues' Premier League clash with Wolves on Saturday after suffering from a cold, but was on press duty at San Siro ahead of Tuesday's encounter.

Silva spent three years at Milan between 2009 and 2012, where he was a Serie A winner, before going on to achieve domestic success with Paris Saint-Germain and European glory with Chelsea.

Potter declared the 38-year-old's return from a brief absence was a major boost, hailing him as a model professional on and off the pitch.

"Thiago was [fine] when we played Milan [last Wednesday], but he just got a little worse as the week went on," Potter stated on Silva's earlier absence. "It made no sense to play him again.

"But he has recovered well, and he's been incredibly impressive on and off the pitch. 

"As a leader, he's a top professional, and a top person. He's been a joy to work with."

Potter will be without N'Golo Kante and Hakim Ziyech for Tuesday's encounter, however, with the former battling a hamstring injury and the latter feeling under the weather.

"It is not ideal, and certainly disappointing for both him and for us," Potter said of Kante's condition.

"So we have to wait and see the extent and then go from there. Hakim has a sore throat and that is why he has not travelled."

Stefano Pioli is adamant Milan possess the quality to compete with Chelsea in Tuesday's crucial Champions League clash at San Siro.

While the Rossoneri are going well on the domestic front, sitting three points behind Serie A leaders Napoli after Saturday's 2-0 win over Juventus, they have struggled on the European stage this term.

Milan suffered their heaviest Champions League group-stage defeat when they lost 3-0 at Stamford Bridge last Wednesday, leaving them third in Group E after three games.

The Italian giants have also lost four of their last five games at home to English teams in the Champions League (W1), and are winless in their last five European meetings with Chelsea (D3 L2).

However, Pioli is confident they can test the Blues this time around, saying: "It is the identity and the quality with which you play the game that can make the difference. 

"Tomorrow we face a team that just over a year ago won the Champions League, which has strengthened itself, which has international level players, so it is clear that our level will have to be high if we want to compete and try to win the game. 

"I believe that my players have the qualities to stay at that level, as long as we can play a game of attention, determination, trying to be as precise as possible because, in addition to their qualities, Chelsea have been able to make the most of our mistakes. 

"The fact that we played against them only a week ago helps us, in the sense that we were able to analyse the game well. I expect an improvement in dynamism, in personality."

Graham Potter is yet to lose a game as Chelsea head coach since replacing Thomas Tuchel last month, recording three wins and one draw with the Blues, but Pioli hopes Milan's home advantage could prove decisive.

"It seems to me that at this moment they, with the new coach, have found certain positions on the pitch that are giving them very good results," Pioli added.

"I don't think there is a warmer stadium than ours right now. We have fans who really push and support us and we feel it. Of course, I hope to be able to bring this to the pitch."

Graham Potter was full of praise for his "really impressive" Chelsea players after they cruised to a 3-0 victory over Wolves at Stamford Bridge.

A brilliant Kai Havertz header in first-half injury time set the Blues on their way, before Christian Pulisic and substitute Armando Broja added second-half goals to cap a brilliant display.

The three points took Chelsea into the top four and gave Potter an important first home league victory after arriving from Brighton and Hove Albion in September.

Potter was delighted with his team after the game, telling reporters: "Winning games helps so we look forward to the games.

"It's about hard work, it's being together, that stuff is important but the guys have been really impressive.

"Credit to Wolves, they came out and gave us more of a test in the second half, we saw that period out and we managed to score a nice goal.

"We want to score more than one, we were playing so well and if you have that performance level, the goals will come.

"The effort was fantastic and they've worked hard in training this week.

"I've said from the start I've been impressed with how open, honest and responsible they are. It's difficult to keep the same 11 with the schedule, but there is an element of consistency to how we play.

"[I am] Really happy with the boys and how we've recovered. We go again [at Milan] on Tuesday."

Potter explained his decision to make seven changes from Wednesday's 3-0 Champions League home victory against Milan, saying: "I pick the right team to [try to] win.

"The schedule is tight so there's not a load of recovery time. We have to try to select the best team to give us the chance to perform well."

The Chelsea boss was also pleased to see Broja get on the scoresheet with a well-taken finish into the bottom corner in the 90th minute.

"Great finish, nice pass too," Potter added. "Whenever he comes on he works hard for the team.

"He's had to be patient but he's been working hard in training and it's nice for him to score."