As a Dominos pizza truck pulled up next to Craven Cottage in the lead-up to the game, Chelsea’s striking struggles went from being a recurring theme to a subject of mockery on Monday.
About Mudryk finally scores, but Chelsea still look in trouble
In a publicity stunt that was both humorous and potentially factual, Dominos displayed a digital billboard indicating the number of pizzas they had sold in the five weeks since Chelsea last scored a Premier League goal. The count was nearly 10 million and still rising. While amusing, this added to the woes of Chelsea’s goal drought, as more conventional statistics painted a grim picture.
Before the local clash with Fulham on Monday, Chelsea had not found the net in the league since a 3-0 win against Premier League strugglers Luton in August, despite creating numerous opportunities. Chelsea’s five goals were tied for the second-fewest in the Premier League this season (only Burnley had fewer), and their 5.5% shot conversion rate was the lowest of any team, having failed to score with their previous 49 attempts on goal.
Much like last season under the eventually dismissed Graham Potter, Chelsea remained a side that generated chances but struggled to convert them into goals. They narrowly defeated Brighton 1-0 in the EFL Cup last week. Consequently, the primary objective on Monday was to end their Premier League goal drought.
Chelsea managed to achieve that, finally, securing a much-needed 2-0 victory on Monday, bringing immense relief. The scorer, Mykhailo Mudryk, added an extra layer of comfort.
Mudryk joined Chelsea last January in a deal that could reach €100 million, but in his subsequent 23 appearances, he became the poster child for expensive signings that failed to meet expectations at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino attributed Mudryk’s struggles to confidence and psychological factors, which he sought to address by challenging the winger to a game of crossbar challenge.
When questioned in a post-match news conference about why Mudryk continued to be selected despite his dry spell, Pochettino emphasized maturity and the time required to adapt. He remarked, “It is about maturity. It takes time. There was a massive change to the team when he arrived here, and when you arrive at a team, it is not easy to settle. When too many young players arrive at a team, it is not solid.”
Mudryk’s redemption came after 18 minutes on Monday. The Ukrainian winger exhibited composure as he chested down a cross from defender Levi Colwill before calmly slotting it beneath Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno for his first Chelsea goal.
Pochettino elaborated, saying, “It’s all about the design and the strategy that you can provide the young guys, to trust and feel comfortable in themselves, and to feel like home. Like everyone, they need to feel like they belong to this club. It’s all about [giving them] time and also finding the right people that can help.”
The excitement escalated immediately after the goal. Chelsea scored again moments later, reminiscent of the old saying about London buses, “You wait for ages and then two come at once.” This time, Cole Palmer capitalized on a sloppy pass from Fulham’s Tim Ream and slid a pass through to Armando Broja, who managed to poke the ball home to complete the quick-fire double. It wasn’t the prettiest goal, but it counted nonetheless.
Pochettino added, “For us, it’s about motivation. Even when we were losing and didn’t win at the beginning of the season, we were calm and kept the belief. Now we have won two games in the last two days, but we always want to keep improving and to build the belief and the confidence because they need to feel that.”
However, Chelsea’s struggles are far from over. More work lies ahead before they can claim to have turned the corner.
Pochettino’s side still exhibited a degree of impotence in front of the goal. Broja missed an early opportunity after rounding Leno, and Enzo Fernández failed to add a third goal in the second half when presented with an enticing one-on-one chance. Mudryk, despite his well-taken goal, did not fully shine on the left and was substituted due to a quad injury at half-time. Concerns also linger over the lack of style and personality necessary for consistent performances.
All of this is in addition to concerns about the club’s league position. Even after this victory, they sit in 11th place, one point behind Manchester United, and Chelsea’s challenges are only going to intensify.
Chelsea arguably squandered clear opportunities to secure points at the beginning of the season, suffering away defeats to West Ham and Nottingham Forest, along with an uninspiring 0-0 draw against Bournemouth. The schedule is about to get considerably tougher: After facing Burnley, Chelsea will confront Arsenal (at home), Brentford (at home), Tottenham (away), Manchester City (at home), Newcastle (away), Brighton (at home), and Manchester United (away).
“In football, you always have to be ready for everything,” Pochettino noted. “This Saturday [against Burnley] is going to be tough also. It is important for the players to have a lift after two victories, but we will keep working.”
Despite these concerns, Monday’s victory signifies the end of Chelsea’s goal drought and halts their worrying slide in the league. There’s no ridicule in that accomplishment.
