Three overreactions to Chelsea’s win at Arsenal on Sunday
2. Chelsea doesn’t need a striker
A quick glance at Sunday’s scoresheet will tell you that two of Chelsea’s forwards netted goals in the friendly against Arsenal. Havertz assumed his late-season role of center forward in the first half and Abraham relieved the German of his duties to begin the second. Timo Werner also made an appearance on the left wing and Michy Batshuayi came on as a second striker toward the end of the contest. The Blues went on to win the match and the solid performances from the four aforementioned strikers prompted some rather silly questions.
After a lot of chatter regarding Chelsea’s No. 9 opening, some fans are beginning to say that the side does not need a striker—the options currently available are enough. While the Blues do have an abundance of options to fill the forward role, they still need to sign someone during this summer’s transfer window.
Tuchel has made it clear in the recent months that Abraham does not fit the system he is trying to instill. Further, Chelsea is rumored to be putting Abraham in the shop window as they look for suitors for the 23-year-old. The Englishman’s sale will not go through unless the Blues bring in a replacement, but it’s worth noting Sunday did act as a preview for Arsenal. The Gunners are interested in bringing Abraham across the capital and they won’t want to wait until the eleventh hour to get a deal across the line. Havertz has played well as a No. 9 too. Nevertheless, his sample size has been incredibly small. The concerns relating to him spending an entire season as Chelsea’s striker are obvious.
As it relates to the other two, Werner has shown he is better as a winger or in a two-striker system. The German struggles to cope with the intensity and physicality of the Premier League as a lone forward. Meanwhile, Batshuayi played well against Arsenal, but doesn’t have much of a future with the Blues after his previous struggles in the English top flight. All of this goes to show that two goals from the position in one game do not change things. Could Chelsea survive a season with those available at its disposal right now? Probably, Tuchel doesn’t want to find out though. The Blues’ top priority during the last month of the window is still a striker.