Chelsea manager Graham Potter has explained why he dropped Mason Mount at half-time in their win over AC Milan in the Champions League group stage.
The Blues secured a 2-0 win over the 10-man Italian outfit, with Mount putting on a sensational first-half display for the club.
Chelsea opened the scoring with a penalty goal from Jorginho in the 21st minute. Mount won the penalty after Fikayo Tomori fouled the England international inside the penalty area. The referee also showed Tomori a red card for that foul, despite the protests of the Milan players.
The Stamford Bridge side made it 2-0 in the 34th minute with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang firing the ball into the bottom corner. Mount also played a part in that goal, assisting the Gabonese striker.
Chelsea manager Graham Potter explains Mason Mount replacement
Despite his stellar performance in the first half, Potter opted to withdraw from Mount at halftime.
Speaking after the match, Potter explained his decision. The Chelsea manager said that he rested Mount and also noted that the Englishman was on a yellow card.
Potter also praised Mount, whom he said was fantastic and a constant threat. He also insisted that the 23-year-old is an important player for them.
“He was on a yellow card and he’s played a lot of football, so at half time we gave him a break,” Potter explained his decision.
“It was fantastic. He was a constant threat. I have been very happy with it from the beginning. He is a very important player.”
Meanwhile, Mount had also starred for Chelsea in their previous game in the Premier League. They recorded a 3-0 victory over the Wolves and Mount provided two assists in that match.
Mount has so far appeared in 12 games for Chelsea this season. He has not scored a goal so far but has racked up five assists in the Champions League and Premier League.
Meanwhile, the 2-0 win over Milan was Chelsea’s fourth win in a row. They now have four wins from five matches since Potter took charge of the club.
The Blues are also fourth in the Premier League points table with 16 points from their first eight matches. The west London side are eight points behind Arsenal, who have played one more game.
Meanwhile, Chelsea take on Aston Villa in an away game in the Premier League in their next game.
