Graham Potter sacking is 'sad day' for Chelsea

Interim manager Bruno Saltor will be in charge of team for Premier League match against Liverpool on Tuesday

Graham Potter during his final game in charge of Chelsea that saw his team lose 2-0 at home to Aston Villa. AFP

Chelsea interim manager Bruno Saltor has described Graham Potter's exit is a “sad day” for the club.

Potter was sacked on Sunday night after the Blues dropped into the bottom half of the table following their 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge 24 hours earlier.

The former Brighton manager only took over at the London club in September and was in charge for 31 games that included home and away Champions League group-stage wins over AC Milan, and then knocking Borussia Dortmund out in the last 16.

But despite securing a European Cup quarter-final clash with holders Real Madrid, it was Chelsea's woeful domestic form that saw him lose his job.

Reports suggest that the decision to remove Potter was taken by Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart with the unanimous backing of Todd Boehly and co-owner Behdad Eghbali.

Assistant coach Billy Reid has joined Potter in heading through the exit, but ex-Brighton full-back Bruno has remained in post alongside Bjorn Hamberg, goalkeeper coach Ben Roberts and recruitment specialist Kyle Macaulay.

Graham Potter alongside Bruno Saltor during a Chelsea training session at Cobham. Getty

“I just spoke to Graham five minutes ago,” Bruno revealed at the start of his press conference ahead of Chelsea's Premier League game at home to Liverpool on Tuesday.

“Obviously it's been a difficult 24 hours for all of us, for the staff, for the families and now we just have to deal with the situation.

“It is a sad day. A sad day for staff because of Graham and Billy leaving, two top coaches, top people, top human beings.

“How I see it is I have to be the most professional I can, try to help the players, guide the players to prepare for the game the best we can.

“If I am here right now it's because Graham and the club, they thought it was the right step and I'm here just trying to help the club and trying to be the most professional I can.”

Bruno insisted his full focus was on preparation to face eighth-placed Liverpool and he was unaware of how long he would undertake the caretaker role.

Chelsea recruitment chiefs Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart will conduct the search for a new manager and hope for a better return after a record English league fee of £21.5 million was spent prizing Potter and his backroom staff away from Brighton in September.

Chelsea 0 Villa 2: Player ratings

CHELSEA PLAYER RATINGS: Kepa Arrizabalaga - 6. Had nothing to do apart from picking the ball out of his own net twice. Can’t be faulted for either of the goals. Getty

Kalidou Koulibaly - 6. Showed great stamina to outmuscle Ramsey off the ball as he tried to run through on goal in the 31st minute. Made a number of clearances in the second half but looked shaky against Bailey late on. Reuters

Reece James - 6. Did well to track Ramsey and deny him the chance to play Watkins through on goal in the 27th minute. Made a crucial header to deny Watkins the chance to run through on goal in the 65th minute. AFP

Marc Cucurella - 4. An ill-judged header played Watkins through on goal to open the scoring. Showed good composure to find Felix in the box with a sideways pass despite pressure from Aston Villa's defenders. Reuters

Enzo Fernandez - 6. Pinched the ball off Kamara to set up Mudryk for an early attempt at goal. Played a beautiful cross for Chilwell to head home but the goal was disallowed for a foul. AFP

Mateo Kovacic - 6. Blazed his shot high and wide in the second minute. Played Mudryk through a goal with a perfectly weighted pass in the 32nd minute. Reuters

Ben Chilwell - 7. Unlucky to see his shot come off the frame of goal in the 35th minute. Almost picked out Havertz with a first-time pass across goal in the 37th minute. Thought he had grabbed the equaliser on the stroke of halftime but the goal was cancelled out for a foul on Young. Chelsea’s standout player. AFP

Ruben Loftus-Cheek - 5. Struggled with his role on the right-hand side of midfield. He lacked the pace to get behind Moreno and deliver crosses into the box. AFP

Joao Felix - 6. Almost dragged Chelsea level with a shot that was saved by Martinez in the 20th minute. Unlucky to see his toe-poked shot parried by Martinez in the 61st minute. Getty

Mykhailo Mudryk - 4. Wrongly elected to shoot instead of passing to Havertz who would have been tasked with a simple tap-in early in the game. Could only manage a tame attempt at Martinez’s goal when he was played through on goal by Kovacic. AFP

Kai Havertz - 6. Took one touch too many when he was presented with a chance to test Martinez in the 14th minute. Saw his deflected shot saved by Martinez in the 43rd minute. AP

SUBS: Noni Madueke (Mudryk 58’) - 6. Hit his shot high and wide when Felix found him on the edge of the box in the 62nd minute. Did well to set up Kante for a shot at goal a minute later. AFP

N’Golo Kante (Loftus-Cheek 58’) - 6. Went close to scoring with a shot that went agonisingly wide in the 63rd minute. He added something different to a Blues attack that lacked spark after coming on. AFP

Conor Gallagher (Kovacic 80’) - N/A. Was everywhere after coming on but couldn’t help the Blues reduce the deficit. EPA

Christian Pulisic (Cucurella 80’) - N/A. His cross-shot almost caught Martinez out in the 90th minute. AFP

ASTON VILLA PLAYER RATINGS: Emiliano Martinez - 8. Almost cost his team a goal when he played a shot pass to Kamara that was seized upon by Mudryk but he made amends by making the save. Made another superb stop to deny Felix in the 21st minute. AFP

Ashley Young - 7. A testing game on the right-hand side for Young against Chilwell and Felix. Despite being outnumbered on a number of occasions, the experienced right-back never seemed fazed by the situation. Reuters

Alex Moreno - 7. Dominated the left wing and kept Loftus-Cheek quiet. Found it tougher to deal with Madueke but he never shied away from his duties. AFP

Tyrone Mings - 8. His lax pass almost cost Aston Villa a goal in the 14th minute. His aerial presence was crucial in the second half as he repeatedly won headers in his penalty area. Getty

Ezri Konsa - 8. Made a last-ditch tackle to deny Havertz the chance to have a shot at goal in the 14th minute. Made a double block to deny Kante in the second half. Getty

Douglas Luiz - 7. Played the pass which Cucurella headed into the path of Watkins for Aston Villa’s opener. Sat back in the second half and helped break up several Blues attacks. AFP

Boubacar Kamara - 6. Booked just four minutes into a game for stopping a Chelsea counterattack. Tracked back well to deny Havertz the chance of getting on the end of Loftus-Cheek’s cross in the 41st minute. Getty

John McGinn - 9. Displayed great vision to send Watkins through on goal in the 7th minute. Doubled Aston Villa’s lead with a left-footed shot into the bottom corner. Reuters

Jacob Ramsey - 8. A tireless performance in the first half. Ramsey was involved in almost every good attacking move by Villa. Created the second goal by playing a pass to the edge of the box which McGinn finished with aplomb. AP

Emiliano Buendia - 7. Combined well with Ramsey and set up McGinn for a shot which came off the crossbar. Worked hard in the middle of the pitch in the second half. Reuters

Ollie Watkins - 8. Should have at least tested Kepa when he was played through on goal by McGinn in the seventh minute. Made amends a few minutes later as he got behind the Blues backline and lobbed the ball past the helpless Kepa into the back of the net. Getty

SUBS: Calum Chambers (Kamara 46’) - 7. Brought on in an unfamiliar midfield role, Chambers was superb as a defensive midfielder. Tracked back to block Felix’s effort at goal in the 59th minute. AP

Leon Bailey (Buendia 76’) - N/A. A real thorn in the side of Chelsea’s defenders after coming on as they struggle to deal with his pace and trickiness. PA

Leander Dendoncker (Luiz 87’) - N/A. PA

Lucas Digne (Moreno 89’) - N/A. Reuters

The Spaniard added: “I spoke to the owners, they've been very supportive. What I'm focused on is training today, tomorrow's game then after that, step by step.

“Obviously, it is a massive challenge. I have been just four years coaching but I have been 20 years involved in football.

“I start really early and I have a lot of experience in changing rooms. What I will try to do is help the players, guide the players because I have been in those situation before.

“Then I think I have got that feeling that I can help, especially young players that have never been in this situation before.

“[We're] seeing it as an opportunity for the players. We are representing Chelsea. A club with an amazing history, it is about winning, it is about dominating and what we need to do is prepare for the game.”