Chelsea fans were left disheartened after the club dropped two points against Brentford. The Blues were leading 2-1 until added time in the second half but failed to hold onto their lead and the match ended in a draw. This result once again highlights why the Blues might still be in transition and unprepared to compete for major trophies just yet, despite their 'World Champions' status.
However, now shifting our focus to individual performances, one aspect that may have gone unnoticed by some is another underwhelming performance from Chelsea’s new arrival, Jamie Gittens. Following a crisis on the left flank last season, the club decided to reinforce the area by bringing in Gittens from Borussia Dortmund, as well as Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United this summer.
While some fans had previously expressed worry about the signing of the Argentine. But it seems that their concern was misdirected.
This is because Gittens is the one who has been struggling and has failed to make any real impact so far. This begs the question:
Did Chelsea make a mistake by bringing in Jamie Gittens?
Chelsea secured the signing of Gittens after an extended saga with Borussia Dortmund. Although fans expected an instant impact from the youngster, the opposite has happened. The English winger has already appeared in four matches for the Blues but has yet to register any goal involvements. Even more worryingly, his overall gameplay has looked unpolished as he has struggled to cause any problems for the defenders he is up against, which was supposed to be his main attribute.
Meanwhile, Pedro Neto continues to shine, and Estevao has also been putting in strong performances whenever given the chance. On the other hand, former Blues winger Noni Madueke, who was transferred to Arsenal in this transfer window to create space, seems to have found his footing and already secured a starting spot in Mikel Arteta’s squad with Bukayo Saka sidelined.
Though some may disagree, Chelsea could have, and perhaps should have, passed on signing Gittens and focused on bringing in a striker and a centre-back instead. In that case, the Blues’ squad would have been much more balanced.
With the injury to Levi Colwill, who played a major part in Chelsea’s success last campaign, the defensive line has looked shaky at times, and the club have paid for it. On the other hand, the injury to Liam Delap has handed Enzo Maresca tactical and depth challenges at the top of the field as well.
That being said, what’s done is done, and the club must look forward. As for Gittens, he needs to find his form soon or risk losing his spot in the squad, with other options like Neto and Garnacho available. We can only hope that the recent poor displays are just a phase as the English winger continues to find his rhythm with the team and nothing more.