Chelsea's £150m Forwards Struggle to Find the Net, Scoring Just Four Goals

Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column where Nick Wright combines data and opinion to shed light on key stories from the Premier League. This week, the spotlight is on Chelsea's attacking recruits, Semenyo's instant impact for Manchester City, and Brobbey's clutch performances for Sunderland. Chelsea's supporters may not miss Enzo Fernandez for their upcoming match against Manchester City, but his absence deprives them of their second-highest scorer of non-penalty goals this season. The team's misfiring attack is a concern for Liam Rosenior, especially considering they have failed to score in three consecutive games against top-level opposition. Joao Pedro has been a bright spot, with 14 Premier League goals since his £60m arrival from Brighton. However, the rest of the forwards signed last summer have struggled, with Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho, Liam Delap, and Estevao scoring just four Premier League goals between them despite a combined transfer fee of £150.5m. At only 18, Estevao has shown promise, but Chelsea would have expected more from their attacking overhaul. Finishing has been an issue, with all four players underperforming expected goals. Their struggles raise uncomfortable questions for the club's hierarchy, whose youthful recruitment strategy has left them short on reliable goalscorers. Manchester City's recruitment strategy, on the other hand, has shown the value of signing players for the present. Antoine Semenyo, signed from Bournemouth in January, has scored more goals in nine Premier League games for City than Gittens, Delap, Garnacho, and Estevao have managed in 78 games for Chelsea. Semenyo's goal in their FA Cup semi-final win over Liverpool was his eighth in all competitions, and his contribution has helped reinvigorate their attack. His visit to Stamford Bridge on Sunday may have some at Chelsea reflecting on their own approach to the transfer market. Elsewhere, Sunderland host Spurs on Sunday, and Brian Brobbey will be looking to continue his clutch performances. The striker's six Premier League goals have been crucial, with all but one proving decisive. His goals have been worth a total of eight points to Sunderland this season, and he will be a key player to watch on Sunday.