Chelsea need to find scoring boots – and crisis-hit Southampton could be ideal opposition

BY PAUL LAGAN
paul@slpmedia.co.uk

Goals, goals and more goals are what’s needed tomorrow from Chelsea when they face relegation-haunted Southampton at the Bridge.

Hearing phrases from head coach Graham Potter about taking the positives, and a need for a bit of luck after another defeat, must be galling to hear from Blues fans more used to witnessing their side blowing away the opposition while heading for another league title or shiny cup win at Wembley.

With £600million spent on wingers, midfielders and the odd centre-back, in recent months the Blues have won just four of their last 18 games with just 12 goals to show for it.

That is why the match against rock-bottom Saints is a must-win, but also a must-win by a large amount.

Potter will continue with Joao Felix operating as a roving second striker, but needs to decide what to do about Kai Havertz.

The German is not a central striker, has said himself many times that he is not a central striker, yet is continually played as a central striker. At what point will he be taken away from that role and employed, like Felix, as a support for a central striker?

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could make a surprise appearance on the bench.

He was sunning himself away in Italy last week as the Blues failed to see off another relegation-threatened side, West Ham.

The 1-1 draw at the London Stadium merely confirmed the mid-table status of the former top side in London and indeed the country.

Having been dumped by Potter from the Champions League squad, despite being their top scorer this season, and then dumped from the league squad for the trip to east London, Aubameyang was apparently allowed to take a few days off.

The German opted to get as far away from Potter as practicable.

It’s rare for senior players to be given such freedom during the season. They are usually required to travel with the squad in case another player emergency requires them to be called upon.

Potter has continually claimed that Aubameyang has done nothing wrong, his training and attitude is good. But is Potter cutting his nose off to spite his face?

The midweek 1-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund in Germany was just another 90 minutes in what is proving to be a very difficult season for the Blues.

Potter said afterwards he was pleased with the performance. He said: “It’s complicated – away from home in the Champions League, in a hostile environment, against a team that is in a good moment. It was an even first half, we managed the game quite well, had some chances to counter and hit the bar.

“Second half, apart from the one decisive action where we didn’t do well enough, we were the dominant team and created some good chances. With a little bit of luck and final execution, we would have got the deserved goal. It’s half time, it’s a tight game, and we’ll look forward to Stamford Bridge.”

Chelsea Women take a break from domestic football as the international matches kick in.

Emma Hayes side have plenty away on duty with only one – England’s Fran Kirby – pulling out of the squad with a knee injury sustained in Chelsea’s last domestic outing, a 7-0 thumping of West Ham United in the League Cup semi-final.

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD