LONDON – Pep Guardiola has told Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly to back under-fire boss Graham Potter after Manchester City thrashed the Blues 4-0 in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.

City powered to a second victory against troubled Chelsea in the space of four days as Riyad Mahrez inspired the rout.

Top-tier sides Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Aston Villa were humiliated by lower-league opposition, but Premier League champions City made the strongest possible start by dismissing Chelsea with contemptuous ease at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola made seven changes from the side who won 1-0 at Chelsea in the Premier League on Thursday.

But City were still far too dynamic for a struggling Chelsea as Mahrez struck with a brilliant free kick and a late penalty, with Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden also scoring.

“I would say to Todd Boehly, give him time. I know in big clubs, results are important but I’d say give him time,” Guardiola said of Potter.

“What he’s done at Brighton is outstanding, but we need time in the first season. I had (Lionel) Messi in Barcelona my first season, so I didn’t need two seasons.”

In the fourth round, City will host Premier League leaders Arsenal or third-tier side Oxford City, who met on Monday.

City had already eliminated Chelsea from the League Cup and the London club’s first FA Cup third-round exit since 1998 was another blow to a season in danger of spiralling out of control, though they remain alive in the Champions League and will face Borussia Dortmund in the last 16.

While it is probably too early to be fearing the sack – just four months after he arrived from Brighton to replace the axed Thomas Tuchel – Potter might be having a few sleepless nights.

Chelsea have won just three of their last 12 games in all competitions and sit 10th in the Premier League, 10 points adrift of a top-four place.

Chelsea did not muster a single shot in a first half even Potter described as “painful”.

The Chelsea manager could point to an injury crisis which kept nine players sidelined and led to teenager Bashir Humphreys making his senior debut in defence.

“The results in a small space of time are not positive. You can make excuses and look for reasons or say it isn’t good enough. Both of those answers are correct,” Potter said.

“We have to keep improving and stick together because clearly we are suffering as a football club and it’s not nice at all. But that’s where we are at the moment.

“We can’t do anything apart from do our jobs better and work harder. You understand the supporters’ frustration, we respect that. But our job is to keep working.”

Insisting he still has the backing of his players, Potter added: “I think there is support in the dressing room. We are just going through a bad moment. We have to stick together and keep working.”

He will hardly have been comforted by Chelsea fans chanting Tuchel’s name as they pine for the German who led them to Champions League glory in 2021.

Former Chelsea and France defender Frank Leboeuf told ESPN: “Mr Potter, enough is enough now, something needs to be changed. That’s not the club I know. You are so far away from being a champion of Europe.

“I’m very upset with what I see. I think it’s really disrespectful... I’ve never seen Chelsea so low.

“The players don’t have the will, they don’t have the guts, they don’t have the courage to fight for their colours. They don’t have pride.”

Given Chelsea’s predicament, it was curious that he elected to make six changes, with Humphreys given his debut and fellow teenager Lewis Hall also starting.

Mahrez took advantage of Potter’s selection gamble when he drew a rash foul from Hall in the 23rd minute.

The Algeria winger had scored the winner against Chelsea on Thursday and this time he bent a superb free kick into the top corner from 25 metres.

Woeful Chelsea

City’s second goal was a gift from Chelsea forward Kai Havertz, who punched the ball as he challenged Aymeric Laporte at a corner.

Alvarez slotted the 30th-minute penalty past Kepa Arrizabalaga despite the Chelsea ‘keeper’s attempt to distract the Argentine World Cup winner by talking to him before the kick.

Chelsea were being torn apart and Foden hit the third goal in the 38th minute, the England forward finishing off Kyle Walker’s cross after Mahrez’s pass unhinged the ragged visitors.

Beaten in the last three FA Cup finals, Chelsea’s misery was compounded in the 85th minute as Mahrez scored from the spot after Kalidou Koulibaly fouled Foden.

Meanwhile, the Football Association will investigate alleged incidents of homophobic chanting by City fans.

“We strongly condemn the use of the term ‘rent boy’ and we are determined to drive it out of our game,” an FA spokesman said. “We continue to work closely with the Crown Prosecution Service, as well as the UK Football Policing Unit, in relation to the use of this term.” AFP