Ahead of Chelsea’s first Premier League game under Graham Potter, fans are perhaps expecting some personnel changes, one of which could see Armando Broja introduced to the starting XI.
The Blues haven’t been in domestic action since their controversial 2-1 win over West Ham at the beginning of this month.
It feels like an long time ago to say the least, with former head coach Thomas Tuchel dismissed just four days after that win.
Bad travellers
The German left the club in seventh place with ten points from a possible 18 after an indifferent start saw the west Londoners fall to defeats at Southampton and Leeds United.
Now under the guidance of Potter, Chelsea are back on the road this Saturday as they head to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace, hoping to end their woes away from home.
With the joint-worst attack among teams in the top half, the new Blues boss may look to alter his options going forward.
In his only match in charge so far, the ex-Brighton manager maintained Tuchel’s three-at-the-back approach as they drew 1-1 against Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League.
Kai Havertz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were chosen to play furthest forward but neither could make a ‘significant impact’ and were awarded 5/10 match ratings for their displays by football.london.
Changing it up
Both were replaced on the night, with Aubameyang making way for Broja, and the 73-cap Gabon star could find himself on the bench at the expense of the 21-year-old this weekend.
Praised for his ‘clinical’ ability in front of goal by journalist Tom Barclay, the youngster has so far made six substitute appearances for the Stamford Bridge club this season. However, according to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, the Albanian ace is catching Potter’s eye, which could seem him handed his first Chelsea start against Palace.
Having scored nine goals during his loan spell at Southampton last season, he was labelled ‘sensational’ by former Saints defender Francis Benali. At 6 foot 3, he is also an imposing figure and was previously dubbed a ‘machine’ by writer Simon Peach.
The talented youngster currently ranks first among his team-mates for expected goals per 90 minutes in the Premier League with 0.45. That even puts him ahead of Raheem Sterling, the only Chelsea player to score more than one league goal this season.
According to FBRef, Broja also leads the squad for shots on target per 90 (3.7), well clear of Havertz in second (0.84), with 100% of his attempts accurately aimed at goal.
His underlying numbers that suggest he could well be the man to lead the line under Potter, so it will be interesting to see if he is given that vote of confidence from the new man in the dugout this weekend.
