Chelsea's £150m Forwards Struggle to Find the Net

Welcome to The Radar, a Sky Sports column where Nick Wright uses 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 impact at Man City, Brobbey's clutch performances for Sunderland, and a player to watch this weekend. Chelsea face Manchester City on Sunday without Enzo Fernandez, who has been sidelined after his comments about Real Madrid. His absence deprives Chelsea of their second-highest scorer of non-penalty goals this season. The team's misfiring attack is a concern for Liam Rosenior, with Joao Pedro being the only bright spot, having scored 14 Premier League goals since his £60m arrival from Brighton. However, the other forwards signed last summer, including Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho, Liam Delap, and Estevao, have struggled, scoring only four Premier League goals between them despite costing a combined £150.5m in transfer fees. Finishing has been an issue, with all four players underperforming expected goals. Their struggles raise questions about Chelsea's recruitment strategy, which has focused on young players. Manchester City's signing of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth in January has shown the value of recruiting for the present, with Semenyo scoring more goals in nine Premier League games for City than Chelsea's young forwards have managed in 78 games. Semenyo's goal in the FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool was his eighth in all competitions, helping to reinvigorate City's attack. Meanwhile, Sunderland host Spurs on Sunday, with Brian Brobbey's clutch contributions being a key factor in the team's success. Brobbey has scored six Premier League goals, with all but one being crucial, and his goals have been worth eight points to Sunderland this season.