Three things to look for in Chelsea vs Leicester City
3. Chelsea’s striker situation
There has been a lot of panic from Chelsea fans regarding the center forward position, despite the Blues playing just three competitive matches this season. It seems as if the club’s hierarchy are also desperate to add some experience to the position currently held down by Armando Broja and Kai Havertz. Rumors of Chelsea ramping up talks with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are positive, but it’s still silly how overreactive supporters can be after just three games.
Nobody is going to pretend like Havertz has had a good season—he probably knows that more than anyone else. However, he’s not been atrocious. The Blues’ starting XI as a whole is to blame for the attacking struggles. There needs to be more chances created and the midfielders need to pick out the forwards’ runs more often. The attack is not blameless in this situation though, seeing as they’ve failed to capitalize on the few big chances that’ve fallen to them thus far.
All of that being said, is it time for Chelsea to make a change up top?
If the coaching staff is considering giving Broja a start anytime soon, this run of matches (Leicester, Southampton, West Ham) is the best time to experiment. It’d be surprising to see Havertz pulled from the starting XI against Leicester given his experience, but after how poorly the front three has started the year, fans shouldn’t rule anything out.
The Foxes and the Irons are amongst the Premier League’s bottom dwellers are the moment, but they’re simply underperforming at the moment. Both sides have high upside, but it’s Saints who are over-performing right now. If there’s any right time to test the waters with Broja as the starting center forward, it’s against the club he spent the entirety of last season with during next week’s match. All of that being said, if Havertz struggles against Leicester, Tuchel could be forced to make some changes to the starting XI a lot sooner than he would enjoy.
Next. Kai Havertz: Chelsea are not finished as a team. dark
What are some of the things you’ll be watching for in the match? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter!