The good news for was Chelsea was this, they scored their first goal in five matches today. The bad news is, well everything else, as Brighton utterly dominated them, and went on to beat them 2-1 today.
By far the biggest problem for Chelsea this season has been scoring, or lack of it. It had been said, by many football observers on social media that Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel is where attacking player careers go to die.
Chelsea attacker’s last goal for Chelsea:
?? Joao Felix – 28 days ago
?? Kai Havertz – 35 days ago
???????Raheem Sterling – 38 days ago
?? Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 185 days ago
?? Christian Pulisic – 189 days ago
?? Hakim Ziyech – 420 days ago pic.twitter.com/IQ1nWEUk2R— Football Talk (@FootballTalkHQ) April 14, 2023
Chelsea vs Real Madrid UCL Quarterfinal Leg 2/2 FYIs
Kick: Tuesday, April 18, 2023 8 PM Local Time, Stamford Bridge, London, UK
Aggregate: Real Madrid leads 2-0
Chelsea Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Real Madrid Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Win 90 Minute Result Probabilities: Chelsea 35%, Real Madrid 38%, Extra Time 27%
Actually no, the issue is far beyond Tuchelball. No forwards can score under Graham Potter or Frank Lampard either. Why that is, I don’t know, and I’m not going to pretend to know. But if you are a Chelsea forward, call your agent, get him to go find you a new club.
Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku are actually pretty lucky, at least by comparison, right now.
Blues Team News
Kai Havertz is one of those big name, big money forwards who can score elsewhere, just not with the west London side. He missed out on the Brighton loss due to a knock on his knee, but he should fit to feature in midweek.
Said Lampard of the world’s most expensive all-time German born player: “Kai has had a little issue with his knee, which he felt in Madrid on Wednesday night. He should be fine for Tuesday [against Real Madrid at home].”
Another player who missed out on Saturday’s loss is N’Golo Kante. Lampard rested the French midfielder, who has suffered through a very injury prone season. The caretaker manager hinted that he would do so yesterday, saying:
“His impact is clear. Off the back of an injury, we have to manage him. When he’s fit, he’s one of the best midfielders in the world.”
Fun fact: Kante’s first four appearances this season literally came under four different managers.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.
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