Lexi Potter has been one of the main talking points of Chelsea Women’s season so far.
The 20-year-old has been one of Chelsea’s brightest prospects and was added to their first-team squad last season after impressing on loan at Crystal Palace. While she was more of a squad player then, Potter has become a crucial part of their midfield this season.
Potter has started three of Chelsea’s four Women’s Super League games so far, alongside Keira Walsh in midfield, replacing injured captain Erin Cuthbert. But she is now also being picked on merit, starring alongside one of the best midfielders in world football.
And Sarina Wiegman has been paying close attention, naming Potter in her squad for England’s World Cup qualifying play-off matches against Greece.
Why Lexi Potter deserves England chance
Calmness on the ball
After Chelsea beat Arsenal 1-0 in the WSL on Sunday, a clip of Potter in action went viral. She received the ball from Hannah Hampton on the edge of her own area, with Georgia Stanway, Kim Little and Mariona Caldentey surrounding her. Stanway, in particular, was quick to close her down. But after controlling the ball, she managed to play a pass to the free Wieke Kaptein, quickly relieving any potential pressure and danger.
It’s a calmness Chelsea fans have grown accustomed to seeing from a player who shies away from the spotlight. When Potter receives the ball, she doesn’t often lose it, boasting a retention rate of 92.23% — the sixth best in the WSL among players with at least 180 minutes.
Potter is excellent with her passing, completing 93.17% of her attempts in the WSL this season. Again, that’s the 11th-best in the WSL among players with 180 minutes played. She’s only misplaced 11 of her 161 attempts, averaging 50 passes completed per 90 minutes.
Some may point at the types of passes Potter makes as a reason for her accuracy. Safe passes are harder to miss. And she does keep it simple more often that not. But that’s because she isn’t in the team to be the line-breaking passer. That’s Walsh’s job. Potter is there to supplement and also grow, ready to replace compatriot Walsh in the long run.
But Potter has still averaged 11.33 final third passes attempted per 90, with 17.39% of her total passes attempted going forward.
Hard to beat
Potter isn’t just a passer. She is also capable of stopping opponents, a skill that she has improved upon as she has grown. Whether that’s by cleanly tackling, intercepting the ball or being rough with opponents — something she had shied away from in the past. Against Arsenal, Potter made two tackles, two interceptions and won possession five times, but she also committed three fouls.
Across the season as a whole, Potter sits top in the WSL for her average of 5.33 possessions won in the middle third per 90. She is the main ball-winner of the Chelsea midfield, also coming out on top among her positional peers for interceptions (1.33) per 90. Only Kaptein (2.5) has averaged more tackles per 90 among Chelsea midfielders, with her more advanced pressing role.
Of course, these numbers will pale in comparison to other midfielders across the league. But Chelsea don’t have to spend as much time winning the ball as other teams. The Blues rank 10th for tackles in the WSL this season with 63 and second for their 63.75% possession. Only Manchester City (68.43%) have averaged more possession than the Blues.
But when Chelsea are on the back foot, Potter forms part of a shield that keeps the Blues’ backline pretty secure — even when it has looked shaky at times. Chelsea have only faced 32 shots in the WSL this season, the third-least in the league. They also rank the lowest for their 56 possessions won in the defensive third. That’s because of their 95 possessions won in the middle third — the second-most in the league — with Potter responsible for 16.8% of those.
The benefits to England
Potter is unlikely to start either of England’s games in the October international break. That’s because Wiegman rarely likes to change her team. Stanway will be Walsh’s more defence-minded partner, with the likes of Lucia Kendall and Laura Blinkilde Brown fighting for Ella Toone’s role — the Man Utd midfield having been left out of the squad.
But Potter doesn’t look out of place among the potential midfield options.
The 20-year-old is the most accurate passer, with Blindkilde Brown (90.22%) the only other player to complete at least 90% of her passes in the WSL this season. Of course, the type of pass will come into play here, with Potter mainly looking to keep possession. But it can be vital for England to help them control the game. Stanway offers the most forward-thinking of the midfield options, averaging 31.3 forward passes per 90.
Potter also leads for interceptions at 1.4 per 90, ahead of Kendall (1.2) and Blindkilde Brown (1.1). And she’s second for ball recoveries (7.0 per 90), with only Stanway (7.7) ahead of her. Potter does comes second in quite a few of the metrics, including in her duel success rate. Despite only winning 3.4 duels per 90 — third in the matchup — only Blindkilde Brown (72.22%) has won more of her ground duels than Potter’s 62.5%.
Even if Potter doesn’t get any game time, it will be a good experience for her to learn from the senior squad. But the 20-year-old is already good enough to play.