HOW CAN HE SURVIVE?

ROMAN ABRAMOVICH has previous when it comes to sacking a manager midway through a season. Saturday marked 10 years since he dispensed with Luiz Felipe Scolari just six months into the Brazilian’s tenure. Scolari left the club with Chelsea in fourth place, seven points off the top. Yesterday’s hammering at Manchester City left Maurizio Sarri’s side 15 points adrift of the league leaders in sixth place having suffered their biggest defeat for 28 years. Given how ruthless Abramovich has been with his managers, I cannot see how Sarri survives. After his delayed arrival at Stamford Bridge, Sarri said he expected his side to get better in the second half of the season. The opposite has been true with Chelsea regressing rapidly after a promising start. He admitted after the Arsenal defeat that his players are difficult to motivate, but since that outburst Chelsea have lost 4-0 at Bournemouth and now 6-0 at City. Most astonishing was his admission at the end of last month that Eden Hazard — Chelsea’s star player — is free to leave the club if he wants. What message does that send to the rest of the group and the fans? There is plenty to play for with Chelsea still in the FA Cup, Europa League and set for another meeting with City in the Carabao Cup final. Abramovich may feel he has to act now to salvage Chelsea’s season.