Raheem Sterling is now suffering a dip in form under Graham Potter despite a dizzying start to his Chelsea career.
The £47million summer signing from Manchester City is now enduring a barren patch in front of goal and it is beginning to show in his performances.
It coincides with a run where Chelsea are misfiring, failing to convert chances from open play against Manchester United in a 1-1 draw after a 0-0 away at Brentford in midweek.
Thomas Tuchel had pushed for Sterling as his No1 transfer target this summer, agreeing to make him Chelsea’s best-paid player on £300,000-a-week, giving him dressing room leader status and promising to play him in the forward line week in, week out.
However, with Tuchel now gone he is struggling under Potter, who has played him at wing back on three occasions with mixed results.
Against United on Saturday evening, he was largely anonymous in a front three with Mason Mount and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, both of whom outperformed him.
He failed to have a shot or create any chances over his 79 minutes on the pitch.
Tuchel joked last season that he hoped Jorginho wouldn’t be his top scorer again, but the Blues remain far too reliant on his spot kicks to get points.
The midfielder got the goal in the 87th minute after Armando Broja was fouled in the box by Scott McTominay.
The 21-year-old striker made more of an impact than Sterling had all match even though he only touched the ball three times.
Unfortunately, the Blues conceded late after Casemiro’s towering header in the 94th minute which crossed the goal line by no more than a centimetre.
Although not at fault for the result, Sterling made no real impact on the game.
It’s surprising after his blistering start to life in west London, where he outshone the other new signings and scored four goals in his first six matches.
Even now, he remains Chelsea’s top scorer with those four goals despite not scoring in his last seven matches, his last nine if you include those played for the England national team.
The Blues have spread their goals out across eleven players but without a reliable regular scorer emerging in the group once again.
It could become one of Potter’s first problems to sort with Sterling’s form now on the wane.
