Chelsea's Struggling Forwards: £150m Spent, Only Four Goals Scored

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's focus is on: Chelsea's underperforming attacking signings, Semenyo's instant impact at Manchester City, Brobbey's crucial contributions for Sunderland, and a player to watch this weekend. Chelsea fans may not miss Enzo Fernandez, who has been sidelined due to comments about Real Madrid, but his absence leaves a gap as the team's second-highest scorer of non-penalty goals this season. His equalizer against Manchester City in January secured a point, but now others must step up. Despite scoring seven goals against Port Vale in the FA Cup, Chelsea have failed to score in three consecutive games against top-level opposition, highlighting their attacking woes. Joao Pedro has been a bright spot, with 14 Premier League goals since his £60m arrival from Brighton. However, 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 a combined £150.5m transfer fee. Estevao, at just 18, has shown promise, but the others have underperformed, with finishing being a significant issue. Delap has scored nearly three goals fewer than expected, and Garnacho is not far behind. Their struggles raise questions about Chelsea's recruitment strategy, which has focused on young players. In contrast, Manchester City's signing of Antoine Semenyo has paid off, with the 26-year-old scoring more goals in nine games than Chelsea's young forwards have in 78. Semenyo's arrival has reinvigorated City's attack, easing their reliance on Erling Haaland. Meanwhile, Sunderland host Spurs on Sunday, with Brian Brobbey's clutch contributions having been vital to the team's success. His six Premier League goals have been crucial, earning Sunderland eight points this season. Other key matches include Crystal Palace vs Newcastle, Nottingham Forest vs Aston Villa, and Chelsea's meeting with Manchester City.