Former Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko has urged Alvaro Morata to step up his game after the Blues’ succumbed to back-to-back defeats in the Premier League. The Spain international struggled to make much of an impression against Manchester United last month, and this saw him start on the bench for the Manchester City game, where the Blues were dominated from the off.
Speaking on iNews, Shevchenko believes Morata needs to improve on his overall finishing after having wasted numerous opportunities over the course of the season, he said: “I’ve seen a lot of him. He’s had a lot of chances. I think you need to improve the finishing when you have these chances. It’s a good sign [for the team] when a striker has chances like this, it’s very positive. You need them for scoring goals and helping the team to win.”
Morata started the season in a relatively strong manner as he notched six goals in as many goals, but his influence has since been sporadic with a back problem affecting him during the months of December and February. The Spaniard is now on to 11 games without a goal for the Blues, and his limited influence saw him earn just an injury-time appearance at the Etihad Stadium last weekend.
Chelsea’s form has not been the best since the turn of the year, and during this period, the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have built up a winning momentum which sees them having jumped ahead in the top-four hunt. The Blues are currently five points behind fourth-placed Spurs, and they now face a must-win situation whilst hoping that Spurs, whom they face in April, suffer a dip in form before the end of the season. The Premier League holders entertain Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday evening.