Potter survives France's 3-0 demolition as Sweden's World Cup ends in reality check

Graham Potter’s World Cup ended the way his club season began — with a 3-0 defeat — though the gulf between Sunderland and France as opponents tells its own story. Kylian Mbappé and Bradley Barcola were among the tormentors at the MetLife Stadium as Sweden were eliminated from the tournament, outclassed by a side Potter himself called the best he had ever seen.

“We had to be perfect and even if we were I am not sure if that would have been enough, if I am brutally honest,” Potter said after the final whistle. “I personally haven’t seen a better team.”

The result was brutal but not entirely surprising. Sweden entered the knockout stage as heavy underdogs, and the quality of Michael Olise alongside Mbappé was always likely to overwhelm a squad Potter acknowledged was operating well below the French in terms of individual pedigree. “You look at the careers and CVs of the French team and compare them to ours,” he said.

What makes the campaign notable is how Sweden got there at all. They propped up their qualifying group, finishing winless with two points, before a Nations League play-off reprieve handed them a lifeline. Potter and striker Viktor Gyökeres seized it — Gyökeres scoring a hat-trick against Ukraine and an 88th-minute winner against Poland to secure their place at the tournament.

The group stage told a story of extremes. A 5-1 opening thrashing of Tunisia was Sweden’s biggest World Cup winning margin since 1938. A 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands followed — making them the first side in World Cup history to concede and score five in consecutive group games. A draw with Japan steadied the ship enough for a third-place finish and a knockout-stage berth.

Potter arrived in the role after being sacked by West Ham in September, having taken only five Premier League games in charge of a club that would ultimately be relegated. The contrast in atmosphere between east London and the Sweden dugout has been visible. He looked more settled and assured in his demeanour throughout this tournament than at any point during his troubled spells at Chelsea or the London Stadium.

With Steve Clarke and Ronald Koeman already gone following their own nations’ exits, the post-tournament cull of international managers is under way. Potter, despite the defensive frailties Sweden showed in the United States, appears to have done enough to keep his position — and, more broadly, to rebuild a reputation that had taken a significant hit in club football.