Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has aimed a clear dig at the form of flop summer signing Alvaro Morata when discussing where this season has gone wrong for the Blues.
Although he didn’t name Morata specifically, Fabregas praised Olivier Giroud since his January arrival from Arsenal as he’s improved the team’s threat up top.
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Given that Morata had been first choice prior to that, it’s pretty clear the Spaniard believes his fellow countryman is largely to blame for failing to finish the team’s chances.
Fabregas feels that’s been the main problem for Chelsea this term as they’ve slumped from 1st to 5th in the table.
‘The biggest regret this season, it’s been up front, not taking our chances. We have had many, many chances to score in games – to win games that we didn’t win,’ the 31-year-old told Sky Sports.
‘We could have won more if we had been more clinical and that’s been our weakest point this season.
‘Oli (Giroud) is helping us a lot in certain things that maybe we were lacking.
‘The most important is he is scoring big goals which is what we ask – especially me as a midfielder. This is what we want – the strikers put their chances away and make the team win points.’
Losing Diego Costa has clearly been a blow, with fans and pundits alike in no doubt that Morata has struggled to replicate that kind of threat up front.
The 25-year-old arrived with plenty of expectation on his shoulders when he joined from Real Madrid, but he’s managed just 15 goals in 45 games in all competitions.
That’s undoubtedly a poor return and he’s missed a number of big chances in games that a striker for a top club really shouldn’t be missing.