Chelsea into the depths part 6: Strikers will make or break the season

2 of 3

Chelsea’s German striker Timo Werner celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the English Premier League football match between West Ham United and Chelsea at The London Stadium, in east London on April 24, 2021. – RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Andy Rain / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by ANDY RAIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /

2. Timo Werner

Lukaku’s arrival can ultimately be the best thing for Timo Werner or the worst. On the side of the best, it will allow Werner to play with a strike partner like he has in his most successful periods. At worst, Werner will find himself thrown into the battle for the forward spots as he rarely plays with Lukaku.

Overall, it is a bit too early to tell exactly how things will go, but an excellent break with Germany will have surely helped. Plus, Lukaku’s arrival and the potential to pair with Werner opens up two up top formations for Tuchel’s Chelsea. Even more fun is that the formation can quickly revert to a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 shape with Werner in the side. It’s all a matter of what is necessary and how Werner manages to pair with Lukaku if they end up playing together.

3. Kai Havertz

Last season, when Werner was struggling for form and the true strikers failed to earn Tuchel’s trust, Havertz was deployed up top. It wasn’t quite a false nine role though it was often called as such. It was more often just about having a tall player in the box who had good movement and who gave Werner someone to play off of.

At times, it worked very well but it always felt as though it restrained Havertz to a role where he was unable to help as much as he wanted. With Lukaku, the chances of Havertz having to lead the line have dropped considerably. There is, much like Werner, the chance that he plays alongside Lukaku up top while still being able to drop deeper. That has been how he’s been used with Lukaku thus far and likely how things will continue.

Should Tuchel ever opt to go to 3-5-2 or even 4-3-3 or 4-4-2, it will be interesting to see where Havertz is lined up. Ideally, he’s probably in the midfield trio (either above them as a 10 or within as an eight) but he could still be part of the pair up top. Havertz is capable of all of it but Tuchel will want to find a way to unlock the wonderkid’s full potential.

Home/Chelsea FC Depth Chart