London (United Kingdom), 24/09/2023.- Chelsea’Äôs Raheem Sterling reacts during the English Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Aston Villa FC, in London, Britain, 24 September 2023. (Reino Unido, Londres) EFE/EPA/DANIEL HAMBURY EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.
London, Sep 25 (EFE).- Almost forty years without seeing such a poor scoring record from Chelsea. Five goals in six games return the ‘Blues’ to the 1985-86 season, the last one with such a serious goal drought. In fact, Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino’s men have not found the net in the last three games, against Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest. There is a problem with the goal at Stamford Bridge, and it is hardly surprising anymore.
Because Chelsea’s scoring numbers already left a lot to be desired last year, when they scored 38 goals throughout the league, that is; only two more than Erling Haaland, Golden Boot of the competition. To solve a problem that was personalized to players like Kai Havertz, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling, Chelsea sold the first two and brought in Nico Jackson and Christopher Nkunku.
Nkunku has been in the infirmary since before the start of the season, injured for four months with a knee problem; Jackson has an xg of 4.18 (expected goals in relation to the probability of scoring his shots). That is to say, he should have scored, according to statistics, at least four goals, but he has only scored one.
In addition, the former Villarreal player will miss the next match due to the accumulation of yellow cards. In six Premier duels he has already won five.
The lack of definition of Jackson It is contagious for the rest of the team, which has been unable to score in any of its last 45 shots – between goal and goal -, and which is another clean sheet away from worsening last year’s worst streak, when it also went three games without scoring (Villa, Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers).
«It is a mystery what is happening at Chelsea. It’s like chaos is flowing through the club. “It reminds me of United,” said Gary Neville, one of the most reputable commentators on British television, after the 0-1 defeat against Villa, a duel marked by the expulsion of the Frenchman Malo Gusto.
London (United Kingdom), 24/09/2023.- Chelsea’Äôs Moises Caiocedo (R) and Aston Villa’s John McGinn in action during the English Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Aston Villa FC, in London, Britain, 24 September 2023. (Reino Unido, Londres) EFE/EPA/DANIEL HAMBURY EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.
«I’m not frustrated, I’m disappointed. We were better until the red. The team has given everything, but we have to keep working,” said the Argentine coach, who is aware of where the problem lies with his squad.
«We play with confidence, but the only thing we need is to score. “If we work hard, that will change,” he added.
In total, Chelsea has gone more than 300 minutes without scoring – not counting discounts, which would raise the figure even more – and can be thankful that on matchday three they faced Luton Town at home, the worst team in the category, and He was able to score three goals, moving away from the worst scoring start in his history; the one that occurred in 1956-1957, when in his first six games he only scored three goals.
The added problem is that Chelsea are already losing ground with their competitors; They are fourteenth, with five points, that is; They are closer to relegation (four points) than to the ‘Champions League’ (ten points).
Furthermore, they do not compete in European competition, which could alleviate the external noise and give some easy victory against lesser teams, and classification is necessary this campaign, if they do not want to aggravate the economic deficit they have after the investment of more than 1,000 million made in the latest transfer windows. EFE