Chelsea regular starter must be axed vs Sunderland, rarely-seen replacement’s killer stats revealed
Chelsea completely blew apart Ajax in the Champions League as they now turn their attention to hosting Sunderland in the Premier League on 25 October.
Jamie Gittens was on target for Chelsea against Ajax as they obliterated the visitors 5-1.
The Englishman was one of five different goalscorers on 22 October as the Blues took full advantage of the Dutch side going down to 10-men early on.
Marc Guiu started up front for Enzo Maresca with Joao Pedro suspended following his red card against Benfica on 30 September.
The Spaniard’s performance certainly caught the attention of the manager as he ponders over his team selection against the Black Cats.
Guiu needed just 45 minutes to show Chelsea what they have been missing
The former Barcelona academy graduate was ruthlessly efficient in front of goal after being handed a start under the European light of Stamford Bridge.
Football Insider tipped Guiu to be key to Chelsea’s Champions League success, yet the recommendation was initially ignored by Maresca.
In just one half of football, the 19-year-old showed he has what it takes to become the Blues’ go-to striker in the absence of Liam Delap and stuttering form of the Brazilian.
As seen in his shot map, courtesy of Football Insider’s data partnership with Opta, the number 38 scored from just two shots on target, highlighting his clinical nature.
Guiu needed just seven touches off the ball to impact the match, demonstrating his poacher-like attributes that will help him become one of the league’s best strikers in the future.
Furthermore, he also missed one big chance as he could have had even more goals on the night in just 45 minutes of footballing action.
Pedro out of his depth up front as Guiu offers Enzo Maresca solution
The brilliance of the Spaniard has called into question whether the Brazilian can keep playing up front for the Blues.
At Brighton, the 24-year-old was typically utilised as an attacking-midfielder to support the striker with his number nine role in west London out of his comfort zone.
Surely, given that the number 20 hasn’t scored a goal since the end of August, Maresca must play Guiu against the Black Cats.
This would allow Pedro to play behind the six-foot-two forward and thrive in a more creative role, picking up the ball and driving at defences rather than holding up the ball.
The former Leicester City boss could then still deploy Enzo Fernandez as box-crashing attacking-midfielder alongside the ex-Watford man.
If he is kept on the bench once again against Sunderland, Guiu will be seriously contemplating what he has to do to push into the starting XI on a consistent basis, given Pedro’s shortcomings.