Jamie Carragher blasts Chelsea’s attack: “It’s like they’re playing with 10 men”

Demba Ba and Fernando Torres

Sky Sports pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher both criticised Chelsea’s strikers in the aftermath of Monday’s 0-0 draw with Arsenal, with Carragher telling Sky Sports that Chelsea’s forwards often leave them looking like they’re playing “with ten men.” Blues boss Jose Mourinho can call upon Demba Ba, Fernando Torres or Samuel Eto’o, but none have impressed this season.

Upon being told that Chelsea’s strikers are yet to score an away goal in 2013, Neville replied: “That is a staggering statistic.”

“With the talent that’s in that team, with [support from] Eden Hazard, Juan Mata, Oscar and Willian – you’re telling me their strikers can’t score away from home? That tells me more than anything.”

“They’ve got experience and a lot of players who will dig out results, and that’s why they’re hanging in there, but they’re not killing teams off.”

“Jose Mourinho has said he’s not going into the transfer market in January but I can’t believe that with Chelsea’s history.”

“At the moment the difference between them and City is City can play Sergio Aguero, Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko, who have real power up front and score goals.

“Chelsea don’t have that firepower.”

Fernando Torres was chosen to lead the line at Arsenal on Monday but didn’t impress Neville, who said:

“I thought it was a really poor performance from Torres tonight “The way in which he showed for the ball, when it went up to him it didn’t stick.”

“If you’re going to play with one striker, that is a tough position to play and you have to be an exceptional talent at this level to play there. But they’re not good enough.”

Fellow pundit Jamie Carragher, a former teammate of Torres, agreed with Neville about the west London side’s lack of firepower.

“Mourinho has been quite critical of his attacking players going forward and he’s talking about them not killing teams off. That makes me think ‘are they going to get sold? Are they going to bring players in?” mused Carragher.

“They’re two points off the top so we’re not talking about a bad season for Chelsea but they’re yet to really convince.”

“They’ve come here and done a job, like in a European away game, like they did at Old Trafford earlier in the season – but something’s still not quite right.”

“I feel for Mourinho when I see Chelsea play, though, because a lot of the time it’s like they’re playing with ten men; they’re getting nothing from the striker.”

“We can talk about the wide men not giving them much but the difference between winning and losing is putting away split-second chances. Torres doesn’t even get the chance.”

“Whether you play Ba or Eto’o, whoever he plays just doesn’t seem to work.”

Ba, Eto’o and Torres have scored 5 league goals between them this season, fewer between them than the club’s top scorer Eden Hazard.