3 Chelsea Players With Point To Prove vs Arsenal As Decision Time Looms For Thomas Tuchel

Chelsea’s final game of their United States pre-season tour against Arsenal will give players another chance to prove themselves to Thomas Tuchel.

With the Premier League season just two weeks away from kicking off, time is running out for some Chelsea players to prove their worth to Tuchel ahead of the new campaign, to remain part of the first-team squad.

The tour of the United States has been an entertaining one so far for the Blues. They defeated Club America 2-1 in Las Vegas thanks to a wonderful winner from Mason Mount, but suffered a 5-3 loss on penalties to Charlotte FC after drawing 1-1 in the 90 minutes in midweek. 

There has been plenty of rotation in the games, with Tuchel experimenting with different lineups in each half of the matches.

Work is still to be done, and there are a few players who have a point to prove in the upcoming fixture against Arsenal should they get another chance of minutes on the pitch.

Kai Havertz

The German emerged as a surprise lead striker last season for the Blues after Romelu Lukaku failed to live up to expectations, but he has work to do heading into the upcoming campaign if he wants to retain that spot.

Scoring a total of 14 goals in all competitions, Havertz ended last season as Chelsea’s second highest goalscorer and vastly improved from his first year at Stamford Bridge.

Pre-season has not shown the forward operating at his highest level though, appearing in both matches he has struggled and looked isolated up top. 

Seemingly he is lacking his ruthlessness as well, while this is not too much cause for concern at the moment he will be hoping to find it heading into the new season. 

The 23-year-old is clearly admired by Tuchel and he is glad to have received backing from him, admitting: “I need his trust, sometimes in the bad times, too. He has always given me that trust in the last couple of years. In every match, I want to repay the trust.”

In a new look front- three, accompanied by £47.5 million signing Raheem Sterling, Havertz will want to build a good connection and is excited to work with “the special group” that Chelsea have. 

With a good performance against Arsenal, after he and the rest of the team came under scrutiny against Charlotte FC, he can demonstrate to Tuchel that he is the right man to lead the Blues next season. 

Callum Hudson-Odoi

Returning to the squad for pre-season after a lengthy injury, Hudson-Odoi is “buzzing to be back with the boys” after he featured against Club America and Charlotte FC.

Having only made 15 appearances in the league for Chelsea last season, scoring once and assisting twice, the 21-year-old has a lot to show Tuchel if he wants to be a regular starter in a position where competition is rife. 

Following the first game, the winger shared he ‘‘felt much stronger’’ as he looks to get back to full fitness. 

While he has performed decently in the first couple of games he really needs a display of high quality against Arsenal if he is to really impress Tuchel. 

The liveliness of his play is certainly there, but he will know he needs to have a bigger impact on the game if he is to have a significant role next season.

Michy Batshuayi

Having spent last season on loan at Besiktas in Turkey, scoring 14 goals in the league and providing three assists, Batshuayi is once again back at Chelsea and looking to compete for a place.

With the departure of Lukaku this summer, the Blues are light in the striker position, meaning Batshuayi could find himself getting a chance, albeit unlikely with the club ready to let him leave. 

The Belgian has shown good intentions in both games so far, but there is a desperation to his game which has led to some opportunities being wasted. 

He is keen to impress so his efforts cannot be too heavily criticised, but looking up for a teammate in a better position may help him more than he thinks. 

If he gets the chance to be involved against Arsenal, he will once again be searching for that goal but he needs to show composure to even give Tuchel anything to think about heading into the 2022/23 season.