‘I feel for Graham Potter’ – Paul Merson says ahead of Crystal Palace vs Chelsea game

Football pundit Paul Merson is expecting a tough game for Chelsea, as the Blues face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon.

Merson has predicted a 2-0 victory for Chelsea, but admitted it won’t come easy.

He told Sportskeeda: “A match against Crystal Palace away from home is always difficult. I feel for Graham Potter – he’s had important players missing at the club over the past few weeks, and he now has very little time to make the team play the way he wants them to play.

“The games are going to come thick and fast, and then we’ll have the World Cup.

“Potter is a good manager and a good coach, but he took some time to build his team at Brighton. It might take him a while at Chelsea as well, but he’ll need to finish in the top four this season.

“They also have a massive double-header in the Champions League and might be out of the competition if they fail to beat AC Milan over two group games.

“Marc Cucurella will definitely play this game – Potter knows him well, and there’s not a lot of work to be done there. He didn’t bring in Wesley Fofana and Kalidou Koulibaly, however, and that’s a problem – how much does he rate them? This is a dodgy game, but I’m going to go with a Chelsea victory.”