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Chelsea verdict: Thomas Tuchel will never challenge for the title until he fixes Blues’ lack of cutting edge


THOMAS TUCHEL has a major problem in attack.

And until it is fixed, Chelsea have absolutely no chance of ever challenging Manchester City and Liverpool for the Premier League title.

Thomas Tuchel must solve Chelsea’s attacking woes if he ever wants to challenge for the titleCredit: Reuters

To put it simply, this Blues squad lacks real firepower and cutting edge.

It is not an issue which afflicts either City or Liverpool, whose attackers score goals for fun.

And while Chelsea are set to buy several new defenders this summer, it will take more than money to fix their struggles up top.

The Blues’ 1-0 defeat to Everton on Sunday came despite having 17 shots at goal, with the hosts having nine.

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Chelsea had 20 shots to Real Madrid’s eight when the Spaniards triumphed 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.

And they could only score once from 21 efforts in the 4-1 loss to Brentford.

Mason Mount, a midfielder converted into a forward, is Chelsea’s top league scorer with 10 goals.

That’s more than strikers Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner combined.

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And it’s also the same amount from Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi put together.

Kai Havertz’s return of seven strikes is also nowhere near enough to command the No9 role.

And whether it’s the system or the style of play, Chelsea’s lack of goals from their main attackers is hurting results more than ever.

Like England at the 2018 World Cup, the Blues doubled down on their weaknesses to create a formidable side last season – resulting in Champions League glory.

Midfielder Mason Mount is Chelsea’s top league scorer with 10 goalsCredit: EPA
The likes of Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku are not pulling their weightCredit: Reuters

But almost a year has passed since then, and if anything Chelsea look like they are getting worse.

Tuchel has proven he is the right fit in the Stamford Bridge dugout.

However, there has to be a new direction in terms of output from forwards, who are simply not pulling their weight.

It feels like any attacker who comes to Chelsea right now will meet exactly the same fate – even Erling Haaland.

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Meanwhile, the gap to the top two is only getting bigger.

And it is time Tuchel started exploring tactical options to better exploit the talents every Chelsea fan knows the squad has up top.


Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk


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