Assessing Alvaro Morata’s season so far
Last summer, at a time when the relationship between Diego Costa and Antonio Conte became irreparable, Chelsea FC needed a new man to spearhead a successful title defence.
Arriving from Real Madrid for £60m, Spanish star Alvaro Morata appeared to be just the man the champions of England needed. With Morata not only boasting the same degree of pace and vision as Costa, but also more composure in the eyes of some experts, expectations were high when he took to the pitch in a friendly against Bayern Munich in Singapore.
Though Chelsea fell to a 3-2 defeat, Morata’s debut had not been without its highlights. With Chelsea trailing 3-0 after half an hour, the humidity sapping even those on the bench and nothing but pride at stake, Morata was one of few players to fully self-impose. With involvement in both goals, it was his willingness to perform that nearly enabled Chelsea to complete a rousing comeback.
As expected, Morata’s Chelsea career began promisingly, with the Blues’ record signing scoring in three of his first five appearances. His grandest moment yet came on 23 September, when he scored a hat-trick as a visiting Chelsea side destroyed Stoke 4-0. Since that day, Morata has become inconsistent by the standards expected of him.
For Morata himself, this is potentially bad news. With Spain one of the higher buys on SportingIndex.com to win the World Cup, the thoroughbred Madrilenian must begin to deliver more consistently – the alternative is risking a golden chance to add a World Cup to his personal array of trophies. With the 0-0 draw against Leicester on 13 January marking Chelsea’s third consecutive goalless draw in all competitions, Morata’s recent lean period has led some to question whether or not he has lost his nerve.
Even the likes of Mohammed Salah and Raheem Sterling, neither of whom are even recognised strikers, currently lie above Alvaro Morata in the Premier League’s scoring charts. While some cynics would see this as a damning indictment of Morata’s unsuitability to the Premier League, most would agree that now is not the right time to exile Morata to another of Europe’s elite clubs.
A man more accustomed to waltzing home, almost unopposed, with La Liga and Serie A titles, Morata needs a strike partner one way or another. Mainly due to Morata’s isolated position on the field, there is also a discontented minority of Chelsea fans that believe he lacks the ability to consistently deliver against the best sides in the Premier League. Aside from scoring the match-winning strike against Manchester United on 5 November, all of Morata’s goals have come against far inferior opposition.
Topically, Chelsea’s first leg semi final against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup was a continuation of this theme. With the rivalry between London’s big two as vibrant as ever, much of Morata’s ability to deliver on big occasions will be judged by his performances against Arsenal. In stark contrast to Costa, who often thrived against the Gunners, Morata has now struggled to test Arsene Wenger’s inconsistent backline on three occasions.
Those that believe Morata should leave Chelsea this month will do well to remember that form is temporary, but class is permanent. In a deviation from the system that Conte utilised last season, Morata has often been on his own up front, with no level teammates and only Hazard directly behind him. Potential strike partner Michy Batshuayi remains a peripheral figure in Conte’s plans, and with Chelsea still battling on two fronts, the rigours of the English game are finally taking their effect on Morata.
Realistically, Morata needs another six months. For some of the Chelsea faithful, this will be a harshly limited window for recovery. However, Conte’s livelihood will never be fully assured under the Roman Abramovich regime, unless either the Premier League or the Champions League trophy is guaranteed to land every season without fail. The current overriding feeling is that Stamford Bridge will not be big enough for Conte and Morata much longer.