Graham Potter was supposed to be Chelsea's long-term solution to the football juggernaut's rising demand.  

The resourceful problem-solver has a proven track record in defying the odds. He lifted unfancied Ostersund into the Swedish top flight and led them into the Europa League. His tactical flexibility and interpersonal intelligence helped Brighton punch above their weight last season despite having Premier League's second cheapest squad. 

Chelsea's co-controlling owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali were so impressed at how Potter conducted himself at Brighton that they sacked German Thomas Tuchel, who won three trophies for the Blues in 20 months, and paid over £21 million ($27.9 million) in compensation to lure the 47-year-old Englishman to Stamford Bridge.

As the duo's first managerial appointment since taking over the club in May 2022, Potter has, in their eyes, what it takes to guarantee success. 

"He is an innovator who fits our vision for the club. Not only is he extremely talented on the pitch, he has skills and capabilities that extend beyond the pitch which will make Chelsea a more successful club," beamed Boehly at Potter's grande unveiling on September 8. 

Alas, for all the goodwill and buoyancy, things didn't go as planned. 

Despite splurging nearly £600 million on signings since last summer, Chelsea and Potter struggled to click on the pitch. They have repeatedly suffered humiliating defeats and were ruled out of the title race at the halfway point of the season. 

Potter had bought himself some breathing space after Chelsea somehow reached the last eight of the Champions League by beating Borussia Dortmund last month. But the English giants' form didn't improve on the domestic front and Saturday's 2-0 home defeat by Aston Villa turned out to be the final straw for Boehly and Eghbali.

It was Potter's 11th loss in 31 games since replacing Tuchel and Chelsea, who host Liverpool on Tuesday and face Real Madrid in a crucial Champions League showdown next week, have now alarmingly dropped to 11th in the Premier League. 

In a statement late Monday night, Boehly and Eghbali said, "On behalf of everyone at the club, we want to thank Graham sincerely for his contribution to Chelsea. We have the highest degree of respect for Graham as a coach and as a person. He has always conducted himself with professionalism and integrity and we are all disappointed in this outcome." 

Bruno Saltor, who worked with Potter at Brighton, will take charge of the team as interim head coach. 

"Along with our incredible fans, we will all be getting behind Bruno and the team as we focus on the rest of the season. We have 10 Premier League games remaining and a Champions League quarterfinal ahead. We will put every effort and commitment into every one of those games so that we can end the season on a high," added the duo.

According to stats provider Opta, Potter won only 12 of his 31 games in charge in all competitions and managed 1.27 points per game in the Premier League, which represented the joint-lowest of any manager to take charge of 20 or more games for Chelsea in the Premier League. 

The sacking of Potter means that Chelsea's new owners have dismissed two managers in less than a year in charge, and it has led to chaotic scenes. Multiple British media outlets revealed that the majority of the Chelsea players were not given any prior notice of what was to come before returning to their homes and found out via social media that their boss had been kicked out. 

Boehly and Eghbali, however, feel they have done everything to support Potter. It is understood that while the poor run of results tested the co-owners' patience, a lack of concrete progress from the whole team was the final nail in the coffin. 

In February, Potter told reporters that his mental health had suffered after he and his family received anonymous abuse following Chelsea's poor performances. 

The 47-year-old admitted that fans were "entitled to be angry," but he said he would not be undone by the death threats. 

"Life is tough for lots of people," he said. "We're going through an energy crisis, a cost of living crisis. People are striking every other week. No one wants to hear about the poor old Premier League manager." 

Now, attention will ruthlessly switch to who will be the next manager of Chelsea. The only consolation is that Potter was finally put out of his misery.