Chelsea have endured a frustrating run of form since the turn of the year, winning just once since January 1st, and even though Graham Potter delved into the transfer market and signed eight players, they have yet to gel.
Next up is a tie against West Ham United and this will be another tricky match as David Moyes’ side are currently battling it out at the bottom of the Premier League table and there is no doubt Potter will want to make some changes following last week’s disappointing 0-0 draw against Fulham.
Will Kai Havertz be dropped by Chelsea?
Yes
No
Enzo Fernandez impressed against the Cottagers and through time will surely blossom into a player worth every bit of the near £107m transfer fee, however, there were a couple of passengers in the side, most notably Kai Havertz.
Will Havertz play against West Ham United?
The £150k-per-week forward hasn’t exactly endured the best of seasons, averaging a rating of 6.8 for his Premier League performances this season, currently ranking him as the club’s 13th-best performer.
He has scored five times this term, however, the German has netted only twice since Christmas and with the goalscoring burden falling on him due to a season-ending injury to Armando Broja, his performances have got to be better.
Against Fulham, Havertz was the worst performer in the Chelsea side, achieving a Sofascore rating of just 5.8 and his composure was poor, having three shots off target, hitting the woodwork, and missing two big chances during the tie.
The 23-year-old took just 40 touches during the match, completed only 20 passes, and won just four duels from 11 contested. while also losing possession ten times and his struggles may give Potter a chance to switch his side about.
Journalist and analyst Zach Lowy was a vocal critic of his performance last week, tweeting:
“It’s becoming harder and harder to justify Havertz being an untouchable starter in Graham Potter’s lineup. Another poor campaign from him.”
The only factor that is arguably keeping him in the starting XI is the club’s lack of a proper striker.
Although Joao Felix has been known to perform through the middle for Atletico Madrid on the odd occasion and this could well be an option that the Englishman utilises over the next few matches.
Chelsea needs everyone working together in order to bring them out of this malaise they find themselves in, but performances like Havertz’s against Fulham simply won’t cut it and it may be time for change against West Ham tomorrow afternoon.
