Chelsea at the moment sit sixth within the Premier League, having scored 47 targets in 25 video games, making them the fifth highest within the division this season, averaging 58.6% possession, which is the second-highest within the league and taking 16 photographs per recreation, rating fourth on this metric within the division.
Enzo Maresca’s facet have generated the second-highest xG within the Premier League this season, with 51.79 xG generated of their 25 league video games, solely Liverpool having extra with 63.21 xG. Nonetheless, while their xG era is excessive, the Blues conversion price is likely one of the lowest within the league.
Chelsea’s Premier League objective tallies – final ten seasons | ||
|---|---|---|
Season | Purpose Tally | League place |
2014/15 | 73 | 1st |
2015/16 | 59 | tenth |
2016/17 | 85 | 1st |
2017/18 | 62 | fifth |
2018/19 | 63 | third |
2019/20 | 69 | 4th |
2020/21 | 58 | 4th |
2021/22 | 76 | third |
2022/23 | 38 | twelfth |
2023/24 | 77 | sixth |
A giant a part of that’s Nicolas Jackson’s latest harm, together with the shortage of medical ending on the high finish of the pitch. Maresca’s facet have usually normal excessive xG possibilities this season, squandering them and due to this fact negatively affecting their possibilities of turning performances into factors.
Nicolas Jackson’s harm woes
Chelsea signed Jackson within the 2023/24 summer time switch window, with the Senegal striker becoming a member of the Blues for a payment of round £32m.
Since his arrival, the 23-year-old has made 68 appearances for the membership, scoring 26 targets, offering 11 assists and totaling 5,312 minutes performed.
Jackson has had a patchy season beneath Maresca, beginning in red-hot kind, netting eight instances in his first 13 Premier League video games this season, earlier than happening a poor run of kind, solely scoring as soon as in his final ten league video games.
With Jackson now anticipated to be out till round April, and Marc Guiu additionally out injured, Chelsea are and not using a pure quantity 9 – one thing the squad is clearly crying out for, and maybe one thing that ought to have been considered when making gross sales.
Chelsea already offered a possible Jackson alternative
After spending a while on mortgage earlier than his everlasting sale, Chelsea agreed the sale of Álvaro Morata in 2019 to Atlético Madrid, with the Spanish membership paying £58.3m for the striker.
Since leaving the Blues, initially on mortgage in 2019, Morata has scored 98 targets for a mess of golf equipment, together with Atlético Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan and Galatasaray.
Álvaro Morata vs Nicolas Jackson comparability | ||
|---|---|---|
Stats (per 90 minutes) | Morata | Jackson |
Objectives | 0.35 | 0.47 |
Assists | 0.04 | 0.26 |
xG | 0.29 | 0.59 |
Progressive Carries | 1.19 | 2.12 |
Progressive Passes | 1.76 | 1.40 |
Pictures Whole | 2.16 | 3.26 |
Objectives/Shot | 0.14 | 0.14 |
Objectives -xG | +0.05 | -0.12 |
Key Passes | 0.80 | 1.30 |
Shot-Creating Actions | 1.93 | 3.21 |
Aerial Duels Received | 1.08 | 0.67 |
Stats taken from FBref | ||
When evaluating the 2 strikers’ underlying metrics this season, you may see how Morata would have provided one thing barely completely different, providing some additional aerial menace to the facet and overachieving his xG efficiency, in comparison with Jackson who’s underperforming his xG.
Anticipated Objectives (xG) is a metric designed to measure the likelihood of a shot leading to a objective.
The age dynamic between the 2 would not have been a difficulty both, because the 32-year-old Morata would have provided expertise to the Chelsea facet, which is missing on this division, making for a wholesome and aggressive dynamic between the 2.
While it’s straightforward to evaluate with hindsight, Chelsea might have used a extra skilled striker who’s prepared to rotate with Jackson, which might have added a brand new dynamic to the workforce in sure video games, and helped to cowl for accidents such because the latest ones to Jackson and Guiu.
As it’s, Maresca could also be pressured to utilise Christopher Nkunku has a makeshift quantity 9, or as an alternative look to the academy…
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