The last month or so has been an emotional rollercoaster for Chelsea fans, as they watched their team dismantle Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Wednesday evening after watching them get battered in the two Premier League games prior.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side have been incredibly inconsistent so far this season, and while their defence certainly needs a lot of work, their inability to put away chances is more of a pressing issue.
As things stand, only summer signing Cole Palmer has reached double figures for the Blues across all competitions this year, which is a pretty woeful state of affairs for one of the biggest teams in the country.
However, the fact that a player they sold for just £1m a couple of years ago has been having an even better season than the former Manchester City gem typifies the problems at the club.
Chelsea's sale of Giroud
The player in question is none other than France’s all-time top goalscorer and World Cup winner, Olivier Giroud.
The Blues signed the lethal frontman from cross-city rivals Arsenal in January 2018 for the relatively modest fee – at least by today’s standards – of around £18m, after his game time in N5 had been seriously reduced with the arrival of Alexandre Lacazette the summer prior.
During his stint in west London, Giroud made 119 appearances for the Pensioners, scoring 39 goals and providing 14 assists, meaning he was averaging 0.44 goal involvements per match – a respectable return for the price tag.
While he was never the most popular or most impressive player at the club, his time with Chelsea did coincide with their second Champions League triumph, and though he didn’t play in the final, his six goals on the way there certainly meant he played his part.
However, shortly in that same summer, it was announced that he had been sold to AC Milan for the paltry fee of £1m, and while it was probably seen as reasonable at the time given his age, his performances since suggest there should have been at least a zero after that one.
Giroud's Milan record
The former Arsenal man wasted no time settling in when he arrived at the San Siro and enjoyed a tremendous first season in Italy, where he played a crucial role in the Rossoneri winning their first Scudetto for 11 years.
The Italian giants needed a point from their final-day game against Sassuolo after Inter Milan won theirs, and the Frenchman scored a brace to help them collect all three.
In all, the “top-level” forward, as former manager Arsène Wenger described him, has scored 44 goals and provided 20 assists for Milan in the 112 games he’s played for them, meaning that he averages a goal involvement once every 1.75 games, a frankly remarkable statistic for a 37-year-old striker in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
What’s even more remarkable is that he isn’t slowing down and has been more productive than Chelsea’s best player this season, Palmer.
For example, the “exceptional” striker, as described by Gary Lineker, has scored 12 goals and provided nine assists in 27 appearances, meaning he’s averaging 0.77 goal involvements this season.
Giroud
Palmer
27
30
12
14
9
7
0.77
0.70
In contrast, Palmer’s 14 goals and seven assists in 30 appearances mean he is averaging slightly less, around 0.70 goal involvements per match.
Poch's next Dele Alli was as good as Palmer in Chelsea's win vs Villa
The 24-year-old has the ability to explode under Pochettino.
ByJack Salveson HolmesFeb 8, 2024
Ultimately, the Blues have an extremely talented player on their hands in the Wythenshawe-born gem, but how much better off would they be this season with Giroud in the team?
