Chelsea’s summer spending on attacking players is under the spotlight as several signings struggle to deliver goals, while Antoine Semenyo shines for Manchester City.
Chelsea’s Attacking Recruits in Spotlight
Chelsea spent over £200m on attacking signings. However, Joao Pedro is the only one who has excelled. His younger team-mates are struggling to deliver goals.
Chelsea supporters might not lament Enzo Fernandez’s absence for Sunday’s meeting with Manchester City. He has work to do to repair relations with the fanbase after his comments relating to Real Madrid prompted the club to sideline him for two games.
His absence does deprive them of their second-highest scorer of non-penalty goals this season, and a player whose equaliser against Sunday’s opponent at the Etihad Stadium in January secured a point under interim boss Calum McFarlane.
It will be on others to step up this time. Chelsea were able to rattle seven goals past League One’s bottom club Port Vale in the FA Cup on Saturday but face Manchester City having failed to score in three consecutive games against top-level opposition.
Their misfiring attack is a problem.
Semenyo’s Instant Impact for Man City
Antoine Semenyo is making an instant impact for Man City.
Struggles of Chelsea’s New Forwards
Joao Pedro’s 14 Premier League goals following his £60m arrival from Brighton is the fourth-highest in the division. One more will take him to 20 in all competitions.
But for the rest of the forwards signed last summer, it has been a struggle. Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho, Liam Delap and Estevao cost a combined £150.5m in transfer fees. Nine months into the season, they have four Premier League goals between them.
At only 18, Estevao has done enough to suggest he will prove worth the expense. Like Delap and the currently sidelined Gittens, he has also had to overcome a hamstring injury. But Chelsea would surely have expected more from their attacking overhaul in the short-term, even if it was carried out with their long-term future in mind.
Gittens was rarely trusted to start even before his injury. It has been a similar story for Delap, who was slammed for ill-discipline by Enzo Maresca following his red card against Wolves in October, and indeed for Garnacho, who has struggled to hold down a place.
Finishing has been an issue, with all four players underperforming expected goals to varying degrees. Delap is the biggest culprit having scored nearly three goals fewer than he should have, based on the quality of his chances. Garnacho is not far behind him.
They are not the only ones to have found it tough going at Chelsea this season.
Chelsea face Manchester City having failed to score in three consecutive games against top-level opposition.