Into the depths part 5: Chelsea’s forwards fluid and eventually frustrated

2. Kai Havertz

With Mount a guaranteed starter, and Romelu Lukaku surely one as well now, that leaves just one spot open for several players. Even with each player getting one game before being rotated out, a player would only get about a game every two weeks. That’s not going to be sustainable long term so form and fit will determine who rises above the rest.

For now, Havertz looks to be the top choice. His flexibility is what sets him apart. Havertz can go high and central and play with or as a striker. He can also drop deep and act almost like an eight or even as a 10 if he is looking to move the play along on his flank. Key to all of this is an amazing eye for positioning and Havertz is almost always a danger is one way or another.

The only thing that might hold Havertz back overall is inconsistency. Though he can fill any role Tuchel requires, he often fades out of games as he tries to figure out what is most needed. He often gets it right in the end, but it could prove a source of frustration to viewers over time. And, if any of Havertz’s competition finds form, he’s likely to make way unless he moves past that inconsistency.

3. Timo Werner

Tuchel favored Werner heavily last season even as he struggled, but the same hasn’t been true this season. Lukaku’s arrival pushed Werner out of the striker spot. Mount, most often on the left, takes up another spot. Only Mount shifting right would allow Werner to start and so far Tuchel has preferred other players that allow him to keep Mount where he is.

Werner had a rough first year overall but he does offer speed in behind that is unmatched in this squad. It was somewhat surprising not to see him start against Liverpool and hound their high line. There won’t be many matches where that skill set will be needed but Chelsea’s done a good job at making those types of situations against almost every team. Werner need only score when those situations arrive to find his way into the XI.

4. Hakim Ziyech

Based solely on form so far this season, Ziyech likely is one of the starters. He had a fantastic preseason as a playmaker but also, more surprisingly, as a goal scorer. After last season, it very much seems like he has a point to prove.

Which is why it is always so frustrating when, every time he finds form, he seems to find an injury. He has the worst luck in the squad and it seems he’s always searching for the form he had before his latest injury. In the meantime, others like Havertz and Werner are playing and earning their way into more minutes. The scales tip more and more against Ziyech as he has no recourse to tip them his way.

Come the end of the season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ziyech in the group that is looking to move on for more minutes. Time isn’t on his side like many others and he can still contribute at many clubs. If Chelsea can’t find a place for him, it may be the only way for him to go.

5. Christian Pulisic

Pulisic is another player that might end the season in a place of frustration. He’s been the most injury hit of all players but he surely saw Tuchel’s arrival as a good sign for him. Tuchel was the manager that really pushed Pulisic into professional football but that was years ago. Now, Tuchel doesn’t really seem to have an idea as to where Pulisic will work best. So, much like Callum Hudson-Odoi, Pulisic is played little and when he is played it can be anywhere from wingback to up top.

It’s not ideal for the American who has had a very stop start time at Chelsea. So long as the Blues continue in this current set up, he’s in competition with at least three others at all times. That’s not sustainable in the long run. Much like Ziyech, Pulisic may find himself at a crossroads come next summer where he has a career decision to make.