Chelsea’s new chapter under Maurizio Sarri continues this weekend when the Blues host Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League, and selecting the right centre-forward is one of the key talking points ahead of Saturday’s late kickoff.
Alvaro Morata started up front in the Community Shield and against Huddersfield but failed to find the net or have any real impact on the game, whereas Olivier Giroud – who impressed during the second half of last season – should be available for selection once again after winning the World Cup with France.
But Chelsea FanCast presenter David Chidgey, aka Stamford Chidge, believes Morata is still the right man to lead the line for the west Londoners despite his loss of form since the turn of the year, going on to score just once in 2018.
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Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast’s Fixture in Focus Podcast, Chidge reminded supporters that many were comparing Morata to Peter Osgood during his first few months at the club and believes the former Real Madrid ace is the best fit for Sarri’s system.
He said: “Morata had a phenomenal start to his Chelsea career and I remember at the time people were comparing him – certainly in the way he played and his style and his balance and movement – to Peter Osgood. You don’t get much higher praise than that, and he was banging in the goals.
“I think ultimately he’s a confidence player. I know he got injured, he had a dodgy back around Christmas. Conte perhaps isn’t the best manager for somebody like that – he looks like a player who needs an arm round his shoulder rather than a kick up the arse – so I think it’s confidence.
“I think he suits Sarri’s style of play. I think you’ll also find him not necessarily being the single striker up front. I think what you might see is a lot of inter-changeability between the three attacking players. He’s got a lot of skill and I think he can help in the buildup as well as score goals. So I would absolutely stick with him, Sarri’s clearly made his mind up so I really expect him to start on Saturday. “
You can hear Chidge’s thoughts in full ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal’s Premier League clash this Saturday, listen and subscribe to Football FanCast’s Fixture in Focus Podcast by clicking here or below…
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