Talking Tactics: Potter in line to cast his spell on Chelsea

Graham Potter has taken Brighton to new heights — and he is now in line to revitalise Chelsea. 

The former Swansea boss has pulled off an array of impressive results during his two-year tenure with the Seagulls, including last month's 2-1 win at Manchester United and last Sunday's 5-2 thrashing of Leicester.

Ahead of Saturday's trip to Bournemouth, Potter's men sit fourth in the Premier League on 13 points. 

But there is now a growing belief the 47-year-old tactician will not be in charge for that game having been identified by Todd Boehly and Co as the man to replace Thomas Tuchel. 

Chelsea sacked Tuchel, 49, earlier today after an inconsistent start to the season was compounded by last night's 1-0 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb.

That abject Champions League display prompted the big-spending Blues to drop the axe in the hope of saving a campaign fast going off the rails. 

Moving to Stamford Bridge would be a huge step for Potter but he will have at least one friendly face waiting for him in the shape of Marc Cucurella, who left Brighton for Chelsea earlier this summer. 

Read on as we run the rule over whether the former Swansea boss is the right man to take charge in West London. 

Trust in what you know

It is very rare to see Potter shy away from his favoured 3-4-2-1 formation. 

The attacking system has been in place since his arrival at the Amex and has clear benefits.

Potter's set-up focuses on playing out from the back, with a strong midfield pivot providing protection for the defence. Sound familiar, Chelsea fans?

Last season, the Englishman masterminded several victories against top teams including Tottenham, United, Arsenal and West Ham.

The key to those wins came through the ability to absorb pressure and hit teams on the counter-attack.

Overlapping wing-backs and width in the final third often draws defenders out of position, allowing attackers more room to manoeuvre. 

Ultimately, Potter has a variety of options and flexibility at his disposal, making it incredibly hard for teams to anticipate the different areas of attack. 

Looking at Chelsea's squad, his blueprint could easily be adopted at the Bridge. 

Improving personnel

Potter is never going to afforded an extensive transfer budget at Brighton — but money would not be an issue under Chelsea's American owners.

At present, he is reliant on improving players at his disposal to shape his side's success.

Leandro Trossard and Solly March are two key men that thrive in Potter's system as advanced wing-backs. 

Their boss is adamant that those who play in wide areas must have the capability to both defend and attack.

Trossard scored eight times in 34 Premier League appearances last term and the 27-year-old Belgian perfectly represents his manager's philosophy of hard work and the desire to improve.

Bouncing back

Of course, one of the disadvantages of working at a club like Brighton is that if things are going well, Premier League giants will soon arrive to snatch your best assets.

Cucurella and Yves Bissouma left the Amex before the transfer window slammed shut, with the Sussex outfit reportedly receiving nearly £100million for the pair.

But one quality that helps separate Potter from the rest is his calmness and ability to quickly find solutions.

In this case, a three-man defence of Adam Webster, Lewis Dunk and Joel Veltman has ensured Cucurella has not been missed. 

In midfield, Ecuadorian Moises Caicedo, 20, shows experience beyond his years alongside fellow South American Alexis Mac Allister and Pascal Gross. 

Before the historic win over Erik ten Hag's men on Matchday 1 — their first at Old Trafford — Brighton's departing talent meant many had tipped them to struggle this season. 

But Potter's exceptional man-management skills and ability to adapt have given his side the perfect platform to better last term's finish of ninth. 

Glowing reputation

With success comes reputation and Potter will be aware of just how highly other Premier League managers rate his work. 

Ironically, one of his biggest admirers is Tuchel, the man he is the frontrunner to replace at Chelsea. 

The German previously said: "They have a great coach and it's a great approach they have to how they play the game.

"When you switch on the TV or when you watch them, you clearly see an idea of how they want to play. It's very, very demanding to play against them.

"They play with a lot of confidence. They have many good individual players, they have a top coach in Potter and they are a tough side to beat.

"It's very demanding to play against them because they play very fluid, they adapt their system to your system, they attack high and they have a lot of individual quality."

Tuchel's praise puts perspective on the success Potter has had at Brighton.

Having been linked to both Spurs and United in the past, it appears Chelsea will be getting one of the most sought-after bosses around should Potter decide to answer their SOS.