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Three-time European Cup winner Graeme Souness believes Chelsea's strikers should be doing much better than they have managed this season.
Souness' comments came in the aftermath of the Blues' 0-1 defeat against Everton in the Premier League earlier today (May 1). Thomas Tuchel's side had 17 shots and five on target but just couldn't find the back of the net at Goodison Park.
Speaking after the game on Sky Sports, Souness said (as quoted by football.london):
“They’re a team that don’t really have strikers they should have for the qualities in other departments of the team. For the money they’ve spent, they should have a lot more than what they’ve got, for me.”
The former Liverpool midfielder spoke specifically about Timo Werner, who started the game upfront, while also lauding Everton's efforts in the game. Souness added:
“[Timo] Werner, four goals. They’ve been confronted here by an Everton team who have been very aggressive, they’ve matched that aggression.”
Werner attempted just one shot, which was on target, against the Toffees. His strike partner, Kai Havertz, also had only a solitary shot but couldn't get it on target.
Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic, who both came off the bench, managed no shots between them while Romelu Lukaku didn't make it onto the pitch.
How have Chelsea's forwards fared this season?
Despite flattering to deceive against Everton, Havertz remains Chelsea's top-scorer across competitions this season with 13 goals. Lukaku is second with 12 goals while Werner has managed 11 strikes. Ziyech has found the back of the net only eight times, while Pulisic has just seven goals this term.
These are certainly pedestrian numbers given the money the Blues have spent on each player. Lukaku arrived at Stamford Bridge on a club-record £97.5 million deal while Havertz cost close to £70 million. They spent around £48 million on acquiring Werner, roughly £33 million to bring in Ziyech and close to £58 million on Pulisic.
All five players have also scored only in sudden surges, with no real consistency throughout the season. This has been a massive reason for Chelsea's inability to challenge Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League.
