GRAHAM POTTER hauled off £62million Marc Cucurella after just 35 MINUTES to try and stop Manchester United's midfield.
The Chelsea boss started with a fluid 3-4-3 with the expensive summer signing from Brighton at left centre-back.
But with just Jorginho and Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the middle of the park, the Blues were getting overrun.
And Potter wasted no time in making the brutal change, dragging off the defender he worked with at the Amex.
That allowed Chelsea to switch to more of a 4-3-3 formation – and immediately they took a stronger grip on the game.
And fans quickly praised Potter for making the bold call so early in the game – after hooking Cucurella at half-time and on 61 minutes in their last two games.
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One said: “Like that Potter was brave enough to make that early change.”
Another wrote: “Love that substitution by Potter. We were clearly losing the midfield battle. It was all United. It's been 50/50 since Kovacic came on for Cucurella. Big 2nd half ahead.”
A third added: “Cucurella off for Kovacic makes sense and the fact it's being done so early I really like. Proactive.”
Some felt Ben Chilwell should have been replaced instead as the former Leicester man continues to return to the top form he displayed before his knee injury last season.
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But Sky Sports pundit Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was also impressed by the difference the substitution made.
The ex-Stamford Bridge star said: “They had to do something, Potter chose to change the players on the pitch.
“Chelsea were better in the game after the change.”
Soon after the shake up, Chelsea were able to press more in midfield which in turn helped turnover the ball and create a couple of chances.
However, they could not find a way past David de Gea with just one shot on target in the first half.
