Soccer

Potter is doing Chelsea no favours by ignoring Aubameyang

If Chelsea are chasing a goal they do not have anyone more qualified than Aubameyang to come on and take a chance

Aubameyang and Chelsea manager Graham Potter during the Premier League match against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge, London, on January 15th, 2023. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Aubameyang and Chelsea manager Graham Potter during the Premier League match against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge, London, on January 15th, 2023. Photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Jacob Steinberg
Thu Feb 16 2023 - 16:41

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is not part of Chelsea’s future. The club soon developed buyer’s remorse after signing the striker last summer. The big reunion with Thomas Tuchel lasted less than a week, and although Graham Potter keeps insisting there is nothing wrong with Aubameyang’s attitude it seems unlikely that the former Arsenal captain will still be a Chelsea player next season.

The writing is on the wall. Aubameyang was said to be shocked after Potter found no room for him in Chelsea’s rejigged squad for the knockout stages of the Champions League. Space had to be made to fit in three of Chelsea’s new signings, but leaving Aubameyang out was a big call. Other options were available. Carney Chukwuemeka probably would not have made a fuss if dropped. Christian Pulisic is a long-term absentee. Hakim Ziyech tried to join Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day.

Yet Aubameyang was the unfortunate one. Potter gambled and it was hard not to question his logic when Chelsea lost the first leg of their last-16 tie to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. It was the same old story at Signal Iduna Park: plenty of bright football, plenty of missed chances, plenty of frustration at throwing another game away.

Dortmund, who will take a 1-0 lead to Stamford Bridge next month, were beatable. Jude Bellingham is one of the best midfielders in the world and Karim Adeyemi scored a superb breakaway goal. Yet Chelsea were the better side for long spells and should have been ahead by the time Adeyemi opened the scoring.

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Admittedly the missed chances are not Potter’s fault. He cannot be blamed for João Félix lifting one close-range effort over and crashing another against the bar during the first half. Chelsea’s forwards have to take more responsibility. Ziyech was wasteful during the second half, twice shooting too close to Gregor Kobel, who would also make fine saves from Enzo Fernández and Kalidou Koulibaly.

But it is fair to wonder why Potter did not have Aubameyang as an option from the bench when Chelsea were chasing an equaliser. With Pulisic and Raheem Sterling injured, Potter had few attacking changes. Marc Cucurella and Mason Mount came on when Dortmund scored.

Potter had not even been able to register David Datro Fofana after signing the 20-year-old from Molde last month, and Armando Broja is injured. Aubameyang is not at the back of a long queue. Excluding him feels self-defeating. There is a process under Potter, but Chelsea’s frailties in front of goal are nothing new. They have scored six times in their past 10 games. Kai Havertz has six goals this season. The German makes Chelsea more flexible when he plays but he is not ruthless.

Potter will persist with Havertz. Chelsea do not necessarily need a traditional No 9. Potter can say that creativity is not a problem. With Félix, Ziyech and Mykhailo Mudryk behind Havertz, Chelsea were dangerous against Dortmund.

There are positive signs for Potter. Chelsea have dazzled at times. It is doubtful whether they would be as unpredictable with Aubameyang up front instead of Havertz.

Aubameyang, who fell out with Mikel Arteta before leaving Arsenal, has scored only three goals since joining from Barcelona on a two-year deal. There has been no suggestion of a clash with Potter but the 33-year-old’s face does not fit. Aubameyang, who has not started since being substituted during the defeat by Arsenal on November 6th, is not a presser. He is not going to make unselfish runs off the ball. At times he has not even been getting into goalscoring positions.

However, Aubameyang, whose game is about coming alive in the box, would be entitled to point out that Chelsea were not making chances for him before he fell out of favour. Would it not be worth seeing whether he can click with Félix, Mudryk and Fernández? Aubameyang is the best finisher at the club and Chelsea have enough players to supply him. If they are chasing a goal they do not possess anyone more qualified than Aubameyang to come on and take a chance.

They could have done with him when the ball was bouncing round the box during the dying stages against Dortmund. More to the point, it is ridiculous that Aubameyang has not even made the bench for Chelsea’s past two league games. Potter’s explanation is that he wants to look at Fofana, who almost scored after coming on during the goalless draw with Fulham, but the Ivorian is inexperienced and did not come on during last weekend’s 1-1 draw with West Ham.

Potter needs to be pragmatic. There is still no indication that Aubameyang wants to jet off to LAFC any time soon. If he is intent on sticking around until the end of the season then Potter needs to use him in the league.

The debate about the Champions League is gone. Chelsea will feel they have enough to go through against Dortmund even if the nightmare scenario would be missing countless chances in the second leg and wondering whether they should have picked Aubameyang.

But Dortmund are not the only consideration. Chelsea are 10 points behind fourth-placed Newcastle and will not be playing in Europe next season if they keep drawing league games. There would be no justification for not having Aubameyang in the squad when Southampton visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

– Guardian