Graham Potter, manager of Chelsea, claimed that his choice to make two substitutions during the break of their 2-0 victory over Aston Villa was purely tactical.
Mason Mount capitalized on Tryone Mings’ mistake to give the Blues a 1-0 lead at the half.
Kepa Arrizabalaga made a string of excellent saves while Chelsea was under a lot of pressure.
Potter decided to switch to a flat back five before the second half, removing both Marc Cucurella and Kai Havertz and replacing them with Kalidou Koulibaly and Cesar Azpilicueta.
When asked about the changes, Potter told ChelseaTV after the game: “It was more tactical.
“I thought we had to probably be a back five, more so, and be a bit stronger in the midfield area so we just had to adjust it.
“Sometimes [changes] go for you, sometimes they don’t. Credit to the players, they’re all ready to fight, they’re all ready to help the team.”