Chelsea appears to be on the verge of solving their striker crisis, while Cole Palmer continues to bang in the goals. However, the Blues have problems at the back, making them an interesting team to watch in the overs market.
With Jadon Sancho added to their impressive array of offensive players and Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku both seemingly finding their feet, Chelsea appear set to resolve their problems upfront, although problems at the back remain – making them an interesting team to watch in the overs market.
Last season, much of the weight of the responsibility of making up for the Blues’ lack of a prolific striker fell on Cole Palmer’s shoulders. At the end of the season, Jackson began to show signs of promise too.
Jackson is still not the finished article. It took Didier Drogba some years to become the world-class striker he was in his prime for Chelsea and Senegalese international Jackson will likewise be a long-term project.
This is why it is crucial that in addition to him, backup forward Christopher Nkunku is also finding the back of the net.
Nkunku has scored nine goals in 846 minutes of soccer for Chelsea since moving to West London – a respectable strike rate of one every 94 minutes.
Sancho, who set up his goal against Bournemouth, looked impressive off the bench and can add flair and pace to the Chelsea attack.
Jackson, meanwhile, has four Premier League goals this season to add to his 14 in 2023/24 – a respectable rate for a player who at 23 years old still has plenty of growing to do in terms of his game. Jackson recently signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2033, so Chelsea are clearly certain that he will improve.
Palmer, meanwhile, has two goals and four assists in five Premier League matches this season – proving that last season was anything but a flash in the pan and he remains one of the most exciting players in the Premier League.
However, at the other end, Chelsea has yet to solve their defensive issues. This was particularly obvious in the 6-2 win over Wolves, but there has not been a game this season in which they were completely assured defensively.
Robert Sánchez has yet to prove that he can be the long-term undisputed number one in a competitive Chelsea team. The club is overloaded with goalkeepers on its books – none of whom are anywhere near the level of Petr Čech or Thibaut Courtois in their respective primes in Chelsea colours.
Much has been made of how Chelsea are lacking a vocal leader in the mould of John Terry or Gary Cahill, while current club captain Reece James and other defensive players have struggled with injuries.
Last season, Chelsea scored 77 goals but conceded 63 – the most of any side in the Premier League’s top eight.
This season, they look likely to score more but are likely to remain leaky at the back, making them an interesting proposition on the overs market.
