Steve Nicol claims that Kai Havertz looks like someone feeling the pressure at Chelsea right now.
Havertz, 23, is a German forward who has been a nailed-on starter in the Blues side recently.
In fact, he’s made more appearances so far this season than anyone else in the Chelsea squad (33).
The £150,000-a-week attacker has been asked to play as the No.9 striker under Graham Potter, but he’s part of a forward line that continues to struggle to score goals.
His record of six goals in 33 games across all competitions is definitely underwhelming for someone with his potential.
ESPN pundit Nicol does have some sympathy for Havertz, though:
When discussing the 23-year-old, Nicol told ESPN: “I think he’s unfortunate.
“I think of Bobby Firmino at Liverpool, who didn’t have the pressure on him to score but always scored 10-12 goals. If it had been the opposite, with the pressure on, we might not have seen the same player. He was lucky that he had two guys wide that were on fire.
“Havertz right now, every time he steps on the field, it looks like he’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders when he gets an opportunity.”
You can tell that the entire Chelsea attack does look nervous in front of goal, including Havertz.
Potter has clearly put his faith in the Germany international as his talisman to lead the line, but he’s not doing enough to reward that trust.
He missed another big chance during the weekend’s 1-0 win over Leeds United, with Sky Sports pundit Michael Dawson very critical of his latest display.
We expect him to lead the attack again tonight for the Champions League tie with Borussia Dortmund.
He’s proven in the past he can be the man for the big occasion, and he definitely owes his team a goal or two this evening.
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