Former Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie Redknapp believes that Chelsea will not challenge for the Premier League title until they sign the ‘next Didier Drogba.’
The Blues currently find themselves third in the Premier League table after Thursday night’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United a result that leaves them 13 points off the top two in the Premier League with five games to go, but six points clear of fourth-place Arsenal.
For the majority of the season and almost every week in 2022, Chelsea have been sat in third as a series of underwhelming results, including the draw at Old Trafford, have been the difference between mounting themselves as genuine title contenders since the turn of the year.
While Chelsea have lost just five of their 33 Premier League games this term, nine draws have ultimately seen them drop a number of points that have cost them a chance of challenging Liverpool and Manchester City above them for the title.
A big issue at times for the Blues this season has been in front of goal. Chelsea’s top scorer in the league this term is Mason Mount, who has scored ten league goals. Of their recognised strikers, Kai Havertz is their top scorer with seven league goals, while the return of Romelu Lukaku for a reported £97.5m fee has returned just five Premier League goals with it.
Redknapp feels that until Chelsea sign a striker with a goal record that emulates previous Blues strikers Drogba and Diego Costa, they will remain short of challenging the recent domination of English football by City and the Reds.
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“I think Thomas Tuchel will think how have they not won this game,” Redknapp told Sky Sports after drawing with Man United. “The amount of opportunities they had on the right side.
“They felt Romelu Lukaku was going to be the missing piece to the jigsaw, the man who would get them 20, 25 goals to elevate them to the title race and it hasn’t worked out.
“(Timo) Werner’s not a natural finisher. Havertz, I love his movement. But they haven’t got that goalscorer like a Drogba or Costa who’s going to get you the 20 or 25 goals that you are going to need to win the title and that’s really where they have come up short.”
Despite being third in the league table, 11 players in England’s top flight have outscored top scorer Mount in the Premier League this season. The issue was also the case in their run to the Champions League quarter-finals. Timo Werner (four) was their top scorer in the competition, although his tally was bettered by 13 other players.
Last season, the Blues’ joint-top scorers in all competitions managed just 12 goals. Tammy Abraham, who is now starring for Roma and Werner shared the crown. The previous season was also Abraham, who netted 18 that term.
In all competitions, the Blues’ top scorer this season is Havertz, who has scored 13 goals across all fronts. Of the 13, two have been in the Carabao Cup and three have come in the Champions League. His other came in the FIFA Club World Cup.
