da cassino： Chelsea are in a somewhat strange position at present, having spent an incredible amount of money since the summer transfer window abut as yet failing to live up to expectations on the pitch.
da betsul： Shortly after the curtain closed for the summer market, revered manager Thomas Tuchel was dismissed from duty after a discernible slide from his previous zenith in west London, when he monumentally defeated Manchester City in the 20/21 Champions League finale.
Graham Potter now leads the line from the dugout, and despite failing to deliver on the pith with regularity thus far, there is optimism aplenty at Stamford Bridge following the cascading influx of players this season.
Will Noni Madueke play against West Ham?
One such new acquisition is £29m January signing Noni Madueke, with the young English winger signing from PSV Eindhoven and now set to ignite his Premier League career, and provided the stage against West Ham United, who Chelsea will travel to on Saturday afternoon, he might just provide the spark to give the Blues the coveted victory they so dearly desire.
Indeed, Chelsea have won just three of their past 13 matches across all competitions, and languish in ninth place in the top-flight with just 30 points from their first 21 outings, ten points off the top-four.
Quite frankly, failure is not an option at the London Stadium; the likes of Mykhaylo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez made their debuts at Stamford Bridge last Friday, and despite the new-look Chelsea team brimming with optimism at the opportunity to start afresh, the Cottagers came away with a well-deserved draw.
This time, victory must be attained, and in Madueke, who impressed last time out after coming off the bench, Potter might have his catalyst.
What will Madueke give Chelsea?
As per Sofascore, the “wonderkid” – as hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – recorded a match rating of 7.2 against Fulham, making two key passes, one tackle, and succeeding with both of his dribbles, also winning four of his five duels on the night.
The robust, energetic performance was an indication of things to come, and if he can indeed maintain such vibrancy he will only grow into one of the division’s most fearsome attacking outlets.
With Joao Felix also returning from suspension for the forthcoming tie, it is worth considering the emphatic impact the duo could make, with Felix’s flair and Madueke’s direct assault serving up a partnership that might prove one level too high for the Hammers backline.
As per FBref, Felix ranks among the top 6% of forwards for assists, 12% for progressive passes, and 14% for shot-creating actions and successful take-ons per 90.
With this illustration of just how the Portuguese can bolster Chelsea’s collective drive, Madueke could be one to flourish, weaving into space with blistering speed and wreaking havoc with his incisive nature.
It’s fair to say that Chelsea now boast an abundance of talent and cannot excuse further misery on the pitch; the time for action is now, and if the club want to clinch Champions League football next term after spending over £550m since last summer, slip-ups are simply not an action.
Madueke must start against the Irons, he could deliver the hammer blow to kickstart Chelsea’s season.