Callum Hudson-Odoi put on another spectacular performance off the bench against Arsenal, could he be the one to save Chelsea’s season?
Chelsea put on its worst performance in recent memory against a struggling Arsenal side. The Boxing Day fixture was one of many lows as fans begged the Blues’ players to show a bit of spirit in the embarrassing bout. To be fair, Frank Lampard’s side was significantly better in the second half, but it’s not like they could have been any worse than the previous half. In the end, Mikel Arteta’s Gunners completely outclassed the Blues.
To put into perspective how bad Chelsea was in the first 45—and some players throughout the game’s entirety—Lampard made a double change at halftime. The struggling Timo Werner and Mateo Kovacic made way as Callum Hudson-Odoi and Jorginho were introduced. The latter played a decent half of football, but the individual who grabbed headlines was Hudson-Odoi. In a season where injuries and fatigue have been at the forefront of the teams’ problems, could the 20-year-old be the savior the Blues have yearned for? It’s possible.
Chelsea fans will be quick to tell you the No. 1 priority in the January transfer window is a fourth winger. Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic are as injury prone as they come lately and it’s a real shame as the makeshift wingers have struggled. Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Mason Mount have all struggled to play out wide, it’s even impacted their individual form and confidence. While the Blues would be silly to pass up on buying a winger, they don’t need a world beater. This is largely due to the fact that the three wide men already on the roster all have world class potential.
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Hudson-Odoi’s Chelsea career up to this point has been a rollercoaster ride filled with drama and injuries. He looked like the heir to Eden Hazard’s throne under Maurizio Sarri until an injury prematurely ended his season. The lingering effects of that crushing blow derailed his 2019/20 campaign and he saw limited action. Throw in another love affair with Bayern Munich and some superb substitute appearances—at West Brom, for example—and you’re caught up. Fast forward to the Arsenal match.
The English winger replaced Timo Werner, who put in a woeful shift in the first half, at the beginning of the second period. He ran up and down the pitch with energy and enthusiasm, which is something many of his colleagues lacked on the day. Hudson-Odoi notched an assist by game’s end and was put on post-match presser duties, which speaks volumes as to how Lampard viewed his young winger’s performance. This could be a turning point for Hudson-Odoi, but there are questions as to whether he can step up to the challenge.
It looked as if his long-awaited chance would come a few weeks back when Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech were still recovering from injuries. Alas, Hudson-Odoi was hurt too and his window of opportunity slammed shut. Now, it’s cracked again and the 20-year-old needs to do everything in his power to keep it wide open. An amazing outing against Aston Villa could shake the Blues’ foundation to its core and give Lampard a real winger controversy. The problem is, nobody is quite sure what to expect now.
Hudson-Odoi has shown flashes of greatness since returning from injury last season, but where he struggles is in the consistency department. In order to be a key cog in the Blues’ machine, consistency is key. Werner needs a lengthy stint on the bench to rest up and regain form, Ziyech remains sidelined and Pulisic is still working his way back to 100 percent. To say Chelsea has struggled up front recently would be a massive understatement, but if Hudson-Odoi can find his feet, he can pull the Blues out of the rubble in this busy period. Tammy Abraham has done his best to carry the load in recent matches, finding the back of the net three times in the last two, but he needs a bit of help. Enter Hudson-Odoi.
The losses at Arsenal, Wolves and Everton have been incredibly frustrating for multiple reasons. First, the Blues showed no fight or desire to win. Only a handful of players can be credited for showing any sort of fighting spirit recently. Second, dropping points is costly this year. Before the game kicked off in north London, people were discussing Chelsea’s chances to go second. Now? The Blues could find themselves outside of the top six by the match week’s end.
Chelsea needs a savior, a hero to rise up and pull the rest of the squad from this slump and towards a title scrap. Hudson-Odoi’s energetic cameo proved to Blues supporters that he can be the one to put the team on his shoulders and be that individual, but it all depends on if he seizes his chances.