Raheem Sterling once again failed to make an impact on the pitch for Chelsea in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton at Stamford Bridge.
Frank Lampard’s decision to start Sterling up front against Brighton certainly raised a lot of eyebrows.
It was effectively a front three of three left wingers.
The caretaker manager explained before the game that Kai Havertz missed the game through a small injury, but he still had the option to play Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was eventually left unused on the bench.
Sterling, unsurprisingly, struggled in this position.
The England international had just 15 touches in the 57 minutes he was on the pitch and lost possessions three times.
He did not manage any take-on, key pass, or shot in this game.
Considering his form, it makes sense to drop him against Real Madrid next Tuesday.
The only silver lining for Sterling is that the alternative options have just been as poor and he is one of the only few players in this team with a proven goalscoring record.
In the last two games, however, it is clear that Chelsea are struggling to deal with opposition pressing, and Sterling, who likes to arrive in the opposition box, is unlikely to help in this case.
Having Mason Mount or Conor Gallagher, who can drop into midfield, in the front three could be the way to go, instead.
That said, this does not answer Chelsea’s current biggest problem.
Gallagher’s deflected strike is Chelsea’s only goal in the last five games, so at this point, even the most optimistic Chelsea fans would question how this time will be able to overcome a two-goal deficit against Real Madrid.
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