Arsenal icon Ian Wright has slammed Chelsea’s transfer decision following the Blues’ defeat to the Gunners in the Premier League on Sunday.
He questioned why the west London club did not rectify a clear weakness in their squad during the transfer window.
After another tumultuous summer at Stamford Bridge, a revamped team under Xabi Alonso has emerged, showing promise at the start of the new season.
Victories against Fulham and Brighton, with goals coming from a formidable front three of João Pedro, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer, suggested the potential Alonso has at his disposal.
Sunday’s London derby against Arsenal was an opportunity to make a significant statement, but the Blues fell short, suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat.
With Moises Caicedo sidelined due to injury, Alonso and Chelsea ended the match with Malo Gusto playing as an improvised central midfielder, while Arsenal were able to bring on World Cup winners Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi.
Having lost Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City on deadline day and Andrey Santos to Manchester United earlier in the summer, Wright believes Chelsea’s current midfield challenges are self-inflicted and should have been addressed much sooner than the last-minute attempt to sign Lamine Camara from Monaco, which ultimately proved unsuccessful.
When asked if Chelsea could challenge Arsenal’s dominance at the top of the table, Wright told Sky Sports: “I think their front three will pose problems for many teams, but it ultimately hinges on the midfield.
“I truly believe they must have anticipated that Enzo was likely to leave, Santos departed earlier, and they attempted to secure Lamine Camara from Monaco at the last moment. They could have acted sooner, as Enzo was always going to depart.
“The only problem they will have is the midfield and the problems they may have with a couple of injuries from players in their midfield.
“In respects of their team and the front guys they’ll be able to beat a lot of teams in the league and once they know exactly what he (Alonso) is doing.”