Chelsea boss Potter sees signs of progress despite another draw

LONDON : Chelsea coach Graham Potter said his new-look team was making progress in their expensive rebuilding programme, despite a latest failure to win on Saturday when they were held 1-1 at West Ham United.

Potter, who has been criticised by some Chelsea fans since replacing Champions League-winner Thomas Tuchel last September, has struggled to find a way to meld the Blues' new signings with a host of players returning from injury.

On Saturday, British record signing Enzo Fernandez supplied the pin-point pass for on-loan Portugal winger Joao Felix to score, giving Chelsea fans a glimpse of the club's potential after January's spending spree by its new American owners.

Potter said he was delighted with Chelsea's early dominance at the London Stadium on Saturday after they struggled to assert themselves last week in a 0-0 draw at home to Fulham.

But he was frustrated by the way they allowed former Chelsea wing-back Emerson Palmieri to equalise, unmarked at the far post, barely 10 minutes after Felix's goal.

He said the second half, when the Blues created fewer chances, was probably a truer reflection of the state of Chelsea's development after the January influx of players and the return of others from injury.

"So that's the work in progress, that's what we have to work with, but it was a step forward, I thought, overall from the previous game," Potter told reporters.

Chelsea remain in ninth place before the weekend's other fixtures and have won only once in seven league games.

Asked whether Chelsea fans could expect more from their team after such an expensive string of signings, Potter said: "Chelsea fans are entitled to their view, of course they are, and I understand that when we're not winning they'd be disappointed, like