Alan Shearer baffled by how Graham Potter uses 23-year-old at Chelsea

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Alan Shearer does not think Chelsea forward Kai Havertz suits the number nine role he plays under Graham Potter.

The Blues have the fewest goals in the top half of the Premier League table this season, with 23 goals from 22 games.

To put into perspective, the next fewest are Liverpool and Fulham with 34 goals each, while Manchester City lead the pack with 54, almost double that of Chelsea’s.

It is no coincidence that Havertz also has the fewest goals (five) among the leading goalscorers of these 10 clubs.

According to Shearer, Havertz should not be leading the line for Chelsea.

“I like Kai Havertz but not as an out-and-out number nine,” the former England international told BBC Radio 5 live.

“They have an unbelievable amount of talent, but it is about getting it to gel.

“We will not see the best of Chelsea until next season.”

Obviously, no one expects Havertz to compete with Erling Haaland or Harry Kane in terms of output, but five goals from 21 league appearances is a very poor record for a striker.

Based on Opta‘s data, Chelsea have also created the second-most big chances this season (81), behind only Manchester City, so a lack of opportunities does not explain their poor attacking form.

In Potter’s defence, the alternatives are either not available (Armando Broja) or not very convincing (Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, David Datro Fofana).

Will Havertz reach an elite level as a striker? It seems unlikely. But in a well-trained team with a fluid attacking line, his movements can cause problems for any team.

Perhaps, Shearer is right. We will not see the best of Chelsea until the new players adapt and Potter can fully implement his football.

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