Christian Pulisic suggested that Reece James could surprisingly end the term as the highest goal scorer for Chelsea.
Speaking to the Evening Standard, Pulisic said there was every possibility of the defender topping the side’s scoring charts based on his current form.
James was on target again last night, blasting the Blues second against Juventus in the Champions League.
It was a finish that any striker would be proud of; low, hard, across the goalkeeper and into the far corner.
That takes the Englishman’s tally up to five for the campaign, with another five assists to boot.
Mo Salah is the only other Premier League player so far to register more than five in both categories.
Not bad company at all!
James on fire
The 21-year-old’s stinging effort yesterday also moved him above Romelu Lukaku and Kai Havertz to the top of Chelsea’s goal graph.
At the moment, there seems to be no end to the full-back’s talents.
“Absolutely we’re all impressed. What he can do on the field is pretty special,” admitted Pulisic, who also featured yesterday.
“He’s got so much ability, so many different ways to help the team. The sky is the limit for him.
“Honestly, the way he is playing right now and the way he strikes the ball, I wouldn’t be surprised (if he stayed top scorer).
“That’s what’s great about our system – it allows him to attack a lot.
“He was really strong last night and you could see how much he helped us in attack.”
Race for the Golden Boot
The fact James could finish the season still at the summit of the scoring table, says a lot about his quality but should also be a warning to the rest of Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
Some individuals clearly need to step up their game in the final third.
Lukaku is perhaps the guiltiest of this, having not scored for Chelsea since the middle of September.
Granted, the Belgian hasn’t appeared for the Blues in over a month due to an ankle problem.
Yet, he will have to hit the ground running pretty instantly after his return, as to avoid being left behind in James’ dust.
Timo Werner did manage to score past Juve on Tuesday, a first in club colours since the beginning of October and only a third overall this year.
Callum Hudson-Odoi (two), Hakim Ziyech (two), Mason Mount (three) and Pulisic (two) could all do with picking up their shooting boots as well.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
