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Chelsea currently find themselves at the most testing point of the season.
Having started out decently, the club now find themselves effectively out of the title race. The UEFA Champions League triumph from last season was followed up by a strong transfer window. It had fans believing the club was ready to challenge for the Premier League.
The marquee re-signing of Romelu Lukaku and the loan deal for Saul Niguez was a strong statement from the side. They were looking to challenge for their first Premier League title in over five years.
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Half a season later, the Blues have simply underperformed. The squad has failed to live up to the expectations of fans and now find themselves in third place in the Premier League table. They are 16 points behind leaders Manchester City with only 14 games to go this season.
The reason for this is quite obvious. There have been a few players that have underperformed for the Blues this season and below, we take a look at five of them.
#5. Saul Niguez
Saul Niguez signed a loan deal from Atletico Madrid in the summer transfer window.
The Spaniard has shown his class over the years for the Madrid outfit and was expected to add some depth to the Blues' midfield this season. His move so far has yet to justify itself.
Saul is undoubtedly an excellent midfielder and boasts world-class attributes. However, his career in London got off to a disastrous start when he made his debut against Aston Villa, where he looked completely off the pace. He had to be substituted at half-time by manager Thomas Tuchel.
Since then, Saul has certainly improved but is still a shadow of the player we have seen at Atletico over the years. With more than half the season complete, the 27-year-old has yet to provide any substantial contributions to the side.
#4. Christian Pulisic
Christian Pulisic has been extremely inconsistent over the course of the season.
The attacker was signed from Borussia Dortmund in 2019 for a reported £58 million, becoming the most expensive American player of all time. His time since has been marred by injuries and inconsistent form.
It goes without saying that Pulisic can be lethal on his day. Blessed with electric pace and impressive finishing ability, Pulisic is certainly a bonafide attacking threat on the wings.
But since joining the Londoners, Pulisic has missed several games through injury. He has made 20 appearances this season across all competitions, registering a mere three goals.
Pulisic will need to pull up his socks if the Blues are to challenge for the UEFA Champions League once again this season.
#3. Kai Havertz
Kai Havertz cost Chelsea a reported £71 million in 2020, becoming the side's second-most expensive signing in their history.
Havertz made his name with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, attracting the attention of several of Europe's top clubs. A bidding war ensued, which was ultimately won by Chelsea.
Havertz came to Chelsea bearing great promise and carrying a reputation for having great output. In his debut season with Chelsea, he made over 40 appearances, scoring nine goals and providing nine assists.
His most memorable contribution was the winning goal in the UEFA Champions League final against Manchester City. This year, Havertz has been underwhelming in comparison to the standards fans hold him to.
With just two league goals to his name, Havertz will need to do a lot better to enable his side to challenge across all fronts.
#2. Romelu Lukaku
Chelsea announced the return of Romelu Lukaku in August 2021 for a reported £97.5 million.
Lukaku returned to England after a successful season with Inter Milan, scoring 24 goals in 36 appearances in Serie A. Lukaku came with lofty expectations and was seen as the answer to Chelsea's problems up front.
Tje Belgian has one of the best goalscoring records of any striker of his generation. However, an established and prolific striker, Lukaku has yet to hit top form with Chelsea this year.
Having made over 25 appearances for the club across all competitions, Lukaku only has nine goals to his name. Chelsea have certainly signed him for a reason and Lukaku needs to start delivering better numbers as soon as he can.
#1. Timo Werner
Timo Werner has been on the receiving end of criticism ever since he joined Chelsea.
Signed from RB Leipzig for a reported £47.5 million, fans expected Werner to be the out-and-out striker their side was sorely missing. Werner boasts several excellent attributes, but things simply haven't fallen into place for him since joining Chelsea.
Werner's debut season saw him receive heavy criticism for his poor finishing and low goalscoring output. He managed only 12 goals in over 50 appearances last season for the Blues.
The German has yet to lift his standards this season as well. Having made 11 Premier League appearances for the side, Werner has managed to score just one league goal. His form is a thing of concern for Thomas Tuchel, who will certainly have a decision to make if things carry on this way.
