“So weak & seems to bottle it”, “not sure what he’s good at” – Chelsea fans frustrated with ‘nonsense football’ from 23-year-old star during 1-0 win over Everton

Chelsea fans were left disappointed with Kai Havertz's performance in their Premier League opener against Everton on Saturday. The Blues won 1-0, courtesy of a Jorginho penalty at Goodison Park.

It was Thomas Tuchel's side's first win away against the Toffees since 2017. The Blues dominated the first half with 68% possession, attempting ten shots.

However, it took a penalty to break Everton down. After Abdoulaye Doucoure fouled Ben Chilwell in the box, Jorginho converted from the spot to score what turned out to be the winner.

The Toffees upped the ante in the second half, raising their possession to 42% and attempting five shots, with three being on target. However, they couldn't find an equalizer.

While the Blues registered their first three points of the campaign, fans weren't happy with Havertz's performance. The German won just three of his nine attempted ground duels, committing three fouls and losing possession eight times. He was subsituted in the 75th minute for Armando Broja.

Chelsea fans took to Twitter to express their disappointment at Havertz's performance:

Havertz joined the west London side from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020 for €85 million but has had an underwhelming stint. He has scored 12 goals and provided six assists in 57 Premier League games.

He did, however, score the only goal in their win over Manchester City in the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League final. With Romelu Lukaku re-joining Inter Milan on loan this summer, the onus will be on Havertz to be more clinical in front of goal.

Premier League opening Gameweek so far as Chelsea beat Everton

The 2022-23 Premier League season began with Arsenal winning 2-0 against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Friday, August 5.

Earlier today (August 6), title-contenders Liverpool were held to a surprising 2-2 draw against newly promoted Fulham at Craven Cottage. Another newly promoted side, Bournemouth, began their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa at the Vitality Stadium.

Newcastle United beat the third promoted team Nottingham Forest 2-0 at St. James' Park. Meanwhile, Leeds United beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 at Elland Road.

Tottenham Hotspur began their campaign with a big 4-1 win over Southampton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Chelsea rounded off the day with a 1-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park.

On Sunday (August 7), Leicester City will face Brentford at the King Power Stadium, while Manchester United will take on Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford.

The opening gameweek will be concluded by champions Manchester City with a trip to the London Stadium to face West Ham United.

About the author

Aditya has been working as a European football journalist and editor for Sportskeeda for close to 4 years. He boasts a total experience of over 7 years, and always aims to inculcate proper context in his articles, making the most of his prior stints in writing and marketing across a number of different industries over the years. He has also played football at college level for 2 years.

A B.Tech. graduate, Aditya's journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of Tottenham Hotspur's front foot and creative football since 2008 and connect's with the club's underdog status.

Aditya, who is a Sportskeeda 'Long-form Editor of the Month' award winner, is a big admirer of Luka Modric's elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti because the Italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.

Aditya feels Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala could replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.

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