Chelsea: Frank Lampard should not rely on Michy Batshuayi as his starter

Michy Batshuayi has been in impressive form in the ongoing preseason. With Chelsea lacking quality options up front, he might even be close nailing down a first team spot in Frank Lampard’s new-look Blues. But it might just be another in the Belgian’s long list of false starts over the years.

It is hard to believe Michy Batshuayi is already entering his fourth season as a Chelsea player. But the disbelief is understandable: the Belgian striker has spent half his Chelsea career on the bench and the other half away on loan spells at Borussia Dortmund, Valencia and Crystal Palace. This makes Batshuayi almost a new signing for Frank Lampard, who is looking to leave his mark at Chelsea as a manager after his historically successful stint as a player.

In the three games Chelsea have played during this preseason, Batshuayi has been highly impressive. He scored the Blues’ sole goal against Bohemians in their preseason opener before putting in solid displays against both St Patrick’s Athletic and Kawasaki Frontale.

While Chelsea have Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham in their striker ranks, as well, many fans argue Batshuayi has already done enough to warrant a first team spot.

But those with a good memory will remember that brief stints of impressive form is nothing new for the Belgian.

His first came early in his first season at the club when he showed a knock for scoring goals while coming off the bench under Antonio Conte. But his early season spark soon faded away and he started only one of his 20 appearances in the 2016/17 Premier League, never managing to displace Diego Costa from the first team.

Costa’s departure to Atletico Madrid after a dispute with Conte threw Batshuayi a lifeline for the following season. He seemed to be taking the opportunity with both hands, scoring against Fulham, Arsenal and Bayern Munich in the preseason. This brought him into the starting XI for the first match of Chelsea’s 2017/18 Premier League season against Burnley.

But the Belgian blew his chance and quickly lost his place in the team to the incoming Alvaro Morata.

Batshuayi was loaned out to Borussia Dortmund in the middle of the 2017/18 season, where he again showed flashes of brilliance before his season was cut short due to an ankle injury. At the end of the season, the German club would not take their option to sign Batshuayi permanently and sent him back to Chelsea.

The following season saw him loaned out to Valencia, but after a disastrous first half of the season there, the Belgian found himself back at Stamford Bridge come January. From there he was loaned out to fellow London club Crystal Place, where he enjoyed a decent spell and rebuilt his damaged reputation to some extent.

Now back at Chelsea, Michy Batshuayi is enjoying a promising preseason under Frank Lampard. But the Chelsea legend must not be blinded by the striker’s early form. This is not the first time Batshuayi has impressed in preseason before wilting under the pressure when the season starts.

On the other hand, Chelsea have a much more reliable striker in the form of Olivier Giroud and an exciting prospect in Tammy Abraham, who is coming off the back of a 26-goal season.

As Chelsea reach the halfway mark of preseason, Batshuayi might look like a starter for the Premier League opener against Manchester United. But Frank Lampard must be careful not to put all his eggs in the Belgian’s basket.