The stats behind the tale of the misfiring Blues
- Published
Nicola Pearson, BBC Sport
If Chelsea fail to score against Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, they will have gone the whole month of September without scoring a single goal.
So, how do you solve a problem like the Blues putting the ball in the back of the net?
Mauricio Pochettino has talked in many of his interviews and news conferences about his side not getting what they "deserved" from games and it could be argued his claims aren't entirely unfounded.
Despite sitting 14th in the table, there has been a notable improvement in performances from last season's dismal displays and the Argentine's team have dominated the ball in almost every game they have played. In fact, they are averaging the most possession of any team in the league at 67%.
But this is football. We know possession doesn't win games, but it is what you do with it that counts.
Strangely for the Blues, what they are doing with the ball should be proving more fruitful.
The players are getting balls into the final third of the pitch - sitting third in the league on 372 just behind Arsenal and Manchester City - and getting plenty into the box too, topping the table this season for crosses with 142, 11 more than the Gunners.
It is also safe to say they are making enough opportunities for themselves from this work up the pitch. The Blues are fifth and sixth respectively for big chances created and total shots. They even find themselves above Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United for expected goals (xG) this campaign with 11.61.
Only Liverpool and Manchester City have conceded fewer goals than Chelsea, so do the issues really just lie in the finishing? It would appear so.
With just five goals, they have scored less than half what they would be expected to in terms of xG. Their shot conversion rate of 5.49% is second from bottom only to Luton Town. And those big chances they created? They are joint worst with Brentford for the number missed (all 15 of them).
The pre-season injury to forward Christopher Nkunku - brought in to solve goalscoring woes - seems to have proved even more costly than the club and fans could have imagined.
The 1-0 defeat by Aston Villa on Sunday was once again a highlights reel of missed chances. Nicolas Jackson had the highest xG of any player on the pitch and Raheem Sterling had more touches in the opposition box than anyone on either side.
So as the high-flying Seagulls come to town for a now crucial cup game, there is perhaps some irony that it is the club that co-owner Todd Boehly seems to have on speed dial that could finish off a miserable September for Pochettino and his misfiring Blues.