Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel was pleased for Timo Werner after he bagged his first goal of the campaign against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup.
The German has been a regular substitute since the arrival of Romelu Lukaku last month. He was handed a rare opportunity to lead the line yesterday.
He has been guilty of squandering clear-cut chances in recent games but made amends by finding the back of the net with a headed finish in the 54th minute.
Reece James put the ball on a plate for him with a sublime cross from the right flank. Werner was on target for once, beating goalkeeping Jed Steer at his near post.
Cameron Archer levelled the scores for Villa shortly after the hour mark. The Blues eventually won the game via a penalty shoot-out to reach the fourth round.
Speaking after the match, Tuchel was pleased for the €65 million-rated star, who bagged his first goal in 11 games for the Blues across all competitions.
He told Chelseafc.com: “We brought him into a situation where he can score, this is what we want, and then it’s on him to score. That’s why he is here. It’s the best feeling for a striker to score.”
Our view:
Werner has struggled to find the back of the net this year. Tuchel persisted with him during the back end of last season due to his tireless work rate and link-up play.
With Lukaku’s homecoming this summer, Tuchel has preferred the Belgian to lead the attack, and the striker has delivered with four goals from five matches.
Werner is unlikely to displace Lukaku from the centre-forward position for the Premier League and Champions League games, but they could play together.
Lukaku had more touches of the ball when the 25-year-old came on against Tottenham Hotspur, and it could be an option for Tuchel in the coming games.
Werner excelled at Leipzig in a two-striker partnership. If he can be more clinical with his finishing, he could emerge as a regular starter alongside Lukaku up front.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com.
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