First games of Chelsea's last 7 managers as Potter set for Blues bow vs Salzburg

Graham Potter faces his first match as Chelsea manager on Wednesday evening having been officially unveiled earlier this week, and will be under no illusions about the size of the task facing him.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion boss was appointed on Thursday, barely 24 hours after Thomas Tuchel was sacked in the light of the Blues' 1-0 Champions League defeat away to Dinamo Zagreb.

It brought an end to Tuchel's 100-game reign, in which he won 60 matches - including the 2021 Champions League final - but saw results tail off in recent months.

Chelsea managers don't tend to be given all that long to make their mark - at least that was the case during Roman Abramovich's tenure, but the speed with which Todd Boehly acted to dismiss Tuchel has some wondering if it will be the same story with the new man at the helm.

Here, Mirror Football has taken a look back at the first games of the last few men to take the job, to give a feel for what Potter can compare himself to.

Thomas Tuchel

Tuchel's tenure began in January 2021, with his mid-season arrival meaning there was only to much time to prepare for his first game. Wolverhampton Wanderers were the opponents, and the German made a point of going with an experienced line-up after the youth-focused approach of predecessor Frank Lampard.

We saw a few trends which would emerge throughout his reign, most notably the switch to a back three and the reintegration of Antonio Rudiger. That was enough for Chelsea to keep their opponents off the scoresheet, but they also drew a blank themselves in a goalless draw.

Frank Lampard

Lampard's arrival came at a challenging time for Chelsea, with the club having been hit with a transfer ban ahead of the 2019-20 season. There was a fair bit of leeway in terms of what the ex-midfielder might be expected to achieve, but even so the opening-day defeat was a wake-up call.

Chelsea were beaten 4-0 at Manchester United, thanks to a Marcus Rashford double as well as goals from Anthony Martial and Daniel James. "Let's be clear with the injuries we have at the minute, with the fact we couldn't bring in players, this is going to be a work in progress to a degree," the manager said after the defeat. "We will have to learn harsh lessons and correct them pretty quickly."

Maurizio Sarri

Sarri managed just one season, with the period perhaps best remembered for the drama involving Kepa Arrizabalaga in the League Cup final. However, there was also a full Premier League season - and an enviable start - during the Italian's short tenure.

Chelsea kicked off the Sarri era with a comfortable win away at Huddersfield Town, long before we knew how poor the Terriers would be that season. The new boss won his first five in the league, and lost none of his first 12, but was still dismissed at the end of the campaign after runaway top two Manchester City and Liverpool left the Blues trailing in their wake.

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Antonio Conte

Conte's arrival represented a fresh start, with Chelsea having finished the previous campaign in mid-table with an interim manager. The former Juventus boss was coming in off the back of a run to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals with Italy, and made a winning start in the Premier League.

Coincidentally, the result in Conte's first game was the same as in Tuchel's last. Chelsea hosted West Ham United at Stamford Bridge and won through an 89th-minute goal - in this case Diego Costa breaking the visitors' resistance after James Collins had cancelled out an Eden Hazard opener.

Guus Hiddink

Hiddink, as with Conte, relied on Costa during his first game in charge. The Dutchman returned for a second spell as interim manager midway through the 2015-16 season, and a double from Costa helped save a point at home to Watford on Boxing Day.

Chelsea had beaten Sunderland the previous week, with Hiddink watching from the stands as he prepared to take the reins, and Costa's first-half goal looked set to continue that upturn in form. However, a Troy Deeney penalty and a Gary Cahill own goal put the visitors in front before the Spain striker's second goal ensured the points were shared, though Oscar missed a late chance to win it from the penalty spot.

Jose Mourinho

Another man who returned for a second stint in the 2010s, Mourinho's spell ended badly but started impressively. The fixture list was kind to the Portuguese, with newly promoted Hull City awaiting at Stamford Bridge, but the Blues still had to get the job done.

That they did, despite Frank Lampard seeing a penalty saved by Allan McGregor in the first half. Oscar put Chelsea in front, having been played through by debutant Kevin De Bruyne, and Lampard eventually got himself on the scoresheet with a free-kick to make the points safe.

Rafa Benitez

Benitez, like Potter, took over midway through a Premier League season with a challenge facing him. The interim appointment wasn't the most popular, and his job wasn't made any easier when he started out by going three league games without a win.

The first of those came against champions Manchester City, who were themselves mounting an unsuccessful defence of their title. Neither side was able to find a breakthrough in a goalless draw, with visiting boss Roberto Mancini suggesting the hostility of some fans towards Benitez made things "difficult" for the hosts.

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