Chelsea ‘were not good enough’, Potter admits

Graham Potter admitted Chelsea were “not good enough” and did not deserve more than a point from the New Year’s Day draw with Nottingham Forest.

Raheem Sterling’s goal put the Blues ahead after 16 minutes but Forest were the better side for the vast majority from then on, with Serge Aurier’s strike earning a point.

Boss Potter said: “When the game was controlled in the first half, I don’t think we did well enough. Our performance level wasn’t good enough. We didn’t move the ball fast enough and didn’t have enough movement.

“You have to credit the opponent – in both halves. In the first half, they defended deeper and they attacked big spaces. In the second half, when it became a bit more uncontrolled, we suffered as well. They played a good version of themselves.

“They played better and more positively in terms of getting more men forward. They are dangerous and here they make teams suffer.”

Mateo Kovacic’s introduction just before Forest’s 63-minute equaliser – and the triple substitution of Conor Gallagher, Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang that followed soon after – saw some control regained.

But Potter felt a late Chelsea winner would have been undeserved.

He added: “That first period of the second half was tough. We could have done better.

“Even though we had a chance with Pierre and we rallied in the second part of the second half, it would have been unfair if we had taken more than a point.”