He came on after one minute, hadn’t played in a while, and put in an absolute shift for us given how much Manchester City makes you run,’
Graham Potter defended Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after another difficult night in Chelsea’s loss to Manchester City.
The former Arsenal captain started the game on the bench but came on after only five minutes due to an injury to Raheem Sterling.
Aubameyang toiled for nearly an hour before being hauled off and replaced by 18-year-old Omari Hutchinson, who was making his first senior appearance after joining from Arsenal in the summer.
The 33-year-old looked distraught as he trudged towards the dugout and sat back down on the bench, contemplating his fate.
Potter, on the other hand, insisted he was pleased with Aubameyang’s performance and explained that the change was made due to the striker’s recent lack of minutes.
‘He came on after one minute, hadn’t played in a while, and put in an absolute shift for us given how much Manchester City makes you run,’ he said.
‘He did everything he could for the team,’ I thought. He was getting tired, as was Hakim [Ziyech], so that was the decision.
‘We needed some energy, so I thought Omari [Hutchinson], Conor [Gallagher], and Lewis [Hall] could help. Of course, players want to stay on the field and have an impact on the game. It’s an understandable reaction.’
Asked if he had spoken to Aubameyang, who clearly looked aggrieved, Potter added: ‘No, I’ve not got time to speak in any depth in that point.
‘You understand that football players want to play and contribute to the team. We have to make a decision.
‘He hasn’t played in a while, and playing as a forward against Manchester City requires a bit of work off the ball.
‘He gave everything for the team and was getting tired. So that was the choice.’
Next up for Chelsea is a reverse fixture against Manchester City in the FA Cup on Sunday, Graham Potter would be expecting his side to pull off a giant killing as they are expected to be without 7 first team players due to injuries.