After breaking the British transfer record with the acquisition of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for £106.8m, Chelsea return to Premier League action on Friday with a date with Fulham at the Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea who are languishing in the tenth position are enduring a horrible season, but one thing is certain; the Blues’ hierarchy has shown faith in the manager Graham Potter.
Although Fernandez’s signature came at a record breaking fee, his arrival came after another big money signing in Mykhailo Mudryk who came at a fee of £88.5m from Shakhtar Donetsk.
With signature signing Joao Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid, Benoit Badiashile, David Datro Fofana, Andrey Santos, Noni Madueke, Malo Gusto (all January acquisitions) also made available to Potter, the pressure is now on the former Brighton manager to deliver.
How he gets his team firing awaits to be seen, but Chelsea need to start winning consistently if they’re to turn around their season.
Given they have managed just one win in their last five league games, they go into Friday’s game in a must-win situation. Fulham came out tops the last time these two teams met, and that was three weeks ago. The Craven Cottage encounter ended 2-1 with debutant Felix receiving his marching orders.
Chelsea’s problems this term have sprung majorly from the attack. With all the attacking options that include Kai Havertz, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic at their disposal, the side has netted a paltry 22 goals. No club in the top half of the league has scored less.
While Chelsea’s defence has let in just 21 goals making it the third meanest defence in the Premier League, the five above have a combined score of only 14 goals.
Potter knows his attack needs to improve, and that has been done on paper. Whether that is achieved on the field of play remains to be seen.
Speaking to SkySports, Potter seemed worried of how the club will achieve steadiness with the signings they’ve made saying; “there needs to be stability and calm which is hard for me to say when we have made the signings we have made.” He will just hope the new recruits deliver the goods.
Fulham have been one of the most impressive teams in the league this campaign. Currently seated 7th on the log, they could climb a place higher with victory on Friday.
That would get them closer to European places, but Marco Silva and his charges know it is a tough ask as they have never, in their history recorded a league double over Chelsea. And they come into this one on the back of two successive losses.
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While Felix is still serving his three match ban, Mudryk who made his first Chelsea appearance against Liverpool is likely make his full debut.
Fernandez might’ve come on deadline day, but he could also be looked at as a possible starter.
Chelsea remain without Christian Pulisic, Armando Broja, N’golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Dennis Zakaria, Mateo Kovacic, Wesley Fofana, but have been boosted by the return to training of Ben Chilwell, Reece James and Raheem Sterling.
Fulham on the other hand have just one injury concern in Neeskens Kebano.
