Welcome to The Debrief, a Sky Sports column where Adam Bate combines data and opinion to reflect on key Premier League stories. This week, Liam Rosenior's Chelsea are struggling, having dropped to ninth in the Premier League table since he took over. The team's recent defeat to Manchester United marked their fourth consecutive loss, with three of those coming at home.
Rosenior attributed the loss to bad luck, stating that Chelsea were dominant but failed to capitalize on their chances. However, statistics suggest that Chelsea's finishing has been poor, with the team failing to score despite having the most shots since mid-March. In fact, only Wolves have had a lower expected-goals total per shot than Chelsea over the past 10 games.
The team's inability to penetrate the penalty box and create high-quality chances has been a recurring issue. Perhaps more concerning is the potential that this is a consequence of their personnel, with none of Chelsea's attacking players on the pitch having consistently outperformed their expected goals throughout their careers.
Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher has expressed concerns about Liverpool's Florian Wirtz, who has struggled to make an impact despite his impressive statistics. Wirtz has created numerous chances, but they have often been of low quality, and he has failed to impose himself on games. His lack of swagger and appetite to take risks has been notable, and Carragher has called for him to show more. Newcastle, on the other hand, are still playing with intensity, but their approach is leaving gaps, and they have conceded a high number of expected goals in recent games.
The team's home form has been alarming, with five losses in their last six Premier League games at St James' Park. As a result, manager Eddie Howe is under scrutiny, and his selection decisions are being questioned.