LONDON: Chelsea spent a record £323m in the January transfer window on bringing in two defenders, one midfielder and three forwards. Their mistake was in not spending big money on a new, ‘real’ striker.

The failure to fill an obvious gap in the team will cost Chelsea a return to the Champions League and may also cost manager Graham Potter his job.

Potter might not be responsible for the transfer market decisions but the manager is always the man who pays the price for poor results out on the pitch. The future of Potter, who replaced Thomas Tuchel only last September, fell deeper into doubt after a 1:0 home defeat by the Premier League’s bottom club Southampton.

Initially Potter was a success. ‘His’ Chelsea won five successive matches after drawing his opening game against Salzburg in the Champions League. But the Blues have won only one of 10 matches in all competitions this calendar year and only two of their last 14. They are already 10 points adrift of fourth-placed Newcastle.

A converted free-kick from James Ward-Prowse on the stroke of half-time put the Saints’ captain one goal behind David Beckham’s Premier League record of 18 and condemned Potter’s team to a fourth consecutive league match without a win.

Kai Havertz and Raheem Sterling combined well as substitutes in the second half but the England forward missed three close-range opportunities. Chelsea have scored only once at home in 2023 and were booed off at the final whistle.

The one player exempt from criticism was Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta. He was caught in the face by a flying kick from Southampton substitute Sekou Mara in the closing minutes. The 33-year-old needed oxygen treatment on the pitch before being carried off on a stretcher and taken to hospital. Potter said: “It was a bad moment for us. I think he was unconscious at one point but he was conscious again when he left the pitch.”

Chelsea’s next test is at Tottenham on Sunday.

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