Thomas Tuchel freely admitted he is unsure about how to get more from Romelu Lukaku after the striker endured a particularly quiet 90 minutes against Crystal Palace at the weekend.
A last-gasp goal from Hakim Ziyech clinched Chelsea a 1-0 win at Selhurst Park, but much of the post-game focus was on Lukaku's impact – or lack of.
The Belgium international had just seven touches across the entire match, the fewest ever recorded in a single Premier League match for a player to feature for at least 90 minutes since Opta started collecting the data (2003-04).
Remarkably, just two of those were in the first half and one was from kick-off, and Tuchel suggested after the game that it did not say much about Chelsea "in general".
Chelsea now turn their attention to the Champions League and hosting Lille on Tuesday, but Lukaku's performance and general struggles at the club were once again at the fore.
Asked how he can get Lukaku more involved, Tuchel said: "What can I do? I don't know.
"We have to deal with it. The data is out there and the data speaks a certain language. He was not involved in our game, it's sometimes like this.
"It's, of course, not what we want or Romelu wants, but it's not the time to laugh about him and makes jokes about him."
It was put to Tuchel that the disruption caused by long-term injuries to wing-backs Ben Chilwell and Reece James, who were key during the early months of the season, could have played a part in Lukaku's lack of cohesion with the rest of the team after a promising start.
"Every style changes with long-term injuries of key players," he continued. "We played many games with a back three and wing-backs and two of the key wing-backs are Reece and Chilly [Chilwell], who got injured at their peak level. They had a huge impact on our game offensively and defensively.
"So of course, this changes but we are not the only team where these players have the huge impact and in our system the wing-backs are a crucial position.
"Still, we can also play and win games without any player, this is our job and what we want to do. This is what we try when we have injuries or COVID cases. It's on us and me to adapt and find solutions.
"There is a history of strikers struggling at Chelsea, so it may not be the easiest place in the world for strikers.
"In my opinion, Chelsea are a team considered a strong defensive team, a physical team, that has a certain attitude when in competitive football.
"We demand a lot of our strikers in terms of defending. We want to be physical, hard-working group that wants to play a physical game as well as a skilful game.
"We are on the subject and are well aware, but like always in football it's not just one reason to sort. It's a complex sport and we will continue to play with faith, with a team effort, and it's what we do."
Southampton have changed dynamic of promotion race – Russell Martin
Russell Martin said the Sky Bet Championship automatic promotion race “dynamic” has changed after Southampton’s 3-0 domination of Preston.
Saints had looked destined for a play-off place after three defeats in four games during February, but three home wins in seven days has them just four points off the top two.
A Che Adams brace and Stuart Armstrong’s fourth goal of the season sealed the points on Tuesday and Saints boss Martin said: “I think it was a brilliant performance with some really beautiful stuff.
“It has been a big week for us. It has changed the dynamic. We were written off some point ago but the players have stuck at it and been resilient.
“We have the opportunity to take the points off teams around us but if we have to take care of the next one against Cardiff and if we don’t then the others become a bit pointless.”
Adams opened the scoring in the 19th minute when he tapped in Adam Armstrong’s centre for his 100th career goal.
He doubled his tally by finishing a fine team move with a cool finish before Stuart Armstrong capitalised on a defensive howler to smash in.
The only taint on the evening was an Achilles injury to goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu in the warm-up that looks to have ended his season.
Martin, who promoted Alex McCarthy, said: “He has felt something in his Achilles and will have a scan tomorrow. We don’t expect to see him any time soon and we’ll give him all the support he needs.
“Al has trained so well. He has travelled everywhere and trained like a beast. We’ve seen what Joe (Lumley) can do and has done really well and we wanted to see Al. It was a feeling I had in my gut at the time.”
But Martin added on the performance of Adams, who he subbed off before he could score a hat-trick: “He has just threatened to beat me up out there! We had a hug and a laugh and he understands why I had to take him off.
“He looks like he is going to score all the time at the moment.”
Preston had the third lowest expected goals of the Championship season with 0.07 and manager Ryan Lowe said: “The be all and end all was the first half has cost us. The game plan that we set out to do in the first half was nowhere near.
“The game was probably over at half-time at 3-0. You can’t give a team like Southampton chances like that because they’re a fantastic team.
“The game plan was to try and nullify their strengths and capitalise on their weaknesses and we didn’t really do either.
“They could end up going up automatically, if not they’re going to be a real force in the play-offs.”
Darrell Clarke delighted as Cheltenham clinch much-needed comeback win at Burton
Darrell Clarke was delighted to see his out-of-form Cheltenham side come from behind to take a 2-1 League One win from relegation rivals Burton.
“It’s a good comeback win,” Clarke said. “It’s a must comeback win in a real pressure game where I thought we had to win it and we’ve done that.”
Albion had edged ahead in a poor first half when substitute Steve Seddon fired home after a long throw into the Cheltenham box in first half added time.
But the visitors hit back after half-time through the experience of striker Matty Taylor, with the equaliser and a first goal for the club for 39-year-old Curtis Davies to seal the win with a header from Will Ferry’s corner.
“The response in the second half was very good,” Clarke added. “Matty Taylor does what he does with a great finish and it was about time Curtis got a goal. He is a proper guy and I have got a lot of time for him.
“He has really stood up and been counted over a consistent period this season and I am delighted for him to get the winner.”
Cheltenham now have their fate in their own hands and Clarke issued a “call to arms” to fans to get behind the side with two home games to come.
“Now we take it to the final week of the season in our own hands, so this is a call to arms,” he said.
“We are depleted with a lot of players out and I just want the fans to turn up in their numbers on Saturday and Tuesday and really get behind the boys because I think they deserve it.
“We need to turn the next two games into a fortress and see if we can get over the line.”
Burton boss Martin Paterson was left facing up to an eighth home loss in a row which keeps the Brewers firmly in the relegation dogfight and frustrated at how his side failed to build on a first-half lead.
“We didn’t come out for the second half,” he said. “I thought they started the game brighter than us then after 20 minutes, we started stepping towards the ball and looking dangerous and we got a goal to go in at half-time with everything in our own hands.
“Two set plays and goals in the second half and people not doing their jobs. Simple as that.”
Albion have one last chance on home soil against Reading on Saturday to grab a much-needed home win and the magnitude of the game was not lost on Paterson.
He added: “This was a huge game and Saturday is a huge game. We have just come off the back of a good performance at Stevenage so if the drop off can go one way, I am pretty sure it can go the other way as well.”
Bolton need ‘miracle’ for automatic promotion after Shrewsbury draw – Ian Evatt
Ian Evatt believes Bolton need a “miracle” to gain automatic promotion after being held to a 2-2 Sky Bet League One draw by lowly Shrewsbury.
Wanderers twice came from behind to earn a point thanks to Paris Maghoma’s 71st-minute equaliser.
However, the Trotters are three points behind second-placed Derby with both sides having two games left but with the Rams boasting a superior goal difference.
“It is not over,” sighed Evatt. “But it is five football matches in our eyes now.
“If a miracle happens then so be it. But it is five matches to win and this team is more than capable of that.
“If we can do it at Wembley (in the play-offs), people will enjoy themselves. The time to analyse what has happened and gone wrong isn’t now.
“For now we just focus on winning five more games. It is possible (to gain automatic promotion) but we have to be realistic.
“Derby have a fantastic chance of sealing the deal on Saturday.
“Our general performance was good but we conceded sloppy goals at one end and didn’t take our chances at the other.
“There is frustration and disappointment for a number of reasons. It is a game we should have won.
“But we have said that too many times where we have lost key personnel which makes a difference.”
Shrewsbury are still not safe from relegation but shrugged off their worries to cause Wanderers problems, particularly in the first half.
Dan Udoh fired Town in front after 21 minutes, only for veteran striker Cameron Jerome’s first goal for Bolton to level four minutes from half-time.
Jordan Shipley restored Town’s lead with a stunning low left-footed drive two minutes later.
Ex-Shrewsbury loanee Nat Ogbeta missed a great chance to equalise early in the second half before Maghoma eventually saved face for the home side.
“Although we were ahead twice, it would be a bit greedy to not be pleased with the point,” said Town manager Paul Hurst.
“I am delighted with the players’ commitment to what we asked them to do.
“We knew we would have long spells without the ball. Bolton are an excellent team in possession and cause you lots of problems.
“The way we set up is one thing but the players have to carry that out.
“At the same time, certainly first half, we also carried a threat and caused them problems and caused anxiety within the stadium which is again what we spoke about.
“A point is a great result but we want to try and go to Charlton and see if we can take care of our business then it is over.
“If we don’t get something, we still don’t know our fate.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
