Ian Wright believes Chelsea have been missing a player with the quality of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The 33-year-old striker, who signed from Barcelona on transfer deadline day, scored his first goal for the Blues on his Premier League debut for his new side on Saturday. After going 1-0 down to Crystal Palace thanks to an Odsonne Edouard strike, Chelsea levelled the match on 38 minutes with a fine goal from the former Arsenal captain.
Thiago Silva won a header deep into the Eagles' half, which set Aubameyang up to hit the ball on the half-volley while on the turn. It was a clinical finish from the Gabonese attacker and one we've come to expect from him over the years.
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It's not just his finishing that impressed on Saturday, though, with Aubameyang's movement and link-up play with his new team-mates also catching the eye. His movement off the ball; the runs in behind – they're something you'd associate with a "proper number nine". It's something Chelsea have missed.
"The movement he gave is something Chelsea had been missing – a proper number nine," Arsenal icon Wright said on BBC's Match of the Day. "This [the goal] is where he's fantastic at. [He] got himself to on the right side and instinctively knew where the goal was.
"This is the kind of player Chelsea missed; a centre-forward linking it up. Once [the other players] get used to his movement and what he does, we know that he is very, very clinical. He is going to be a good signing because he's somebody I've got a lot of respect for."
The presence of an out-and-out striker gives Chelsea something different when they are attacking. It's what the Blues thought they would be getting with Romelu Lukaku when the Belgian rejoined the side over 12 months ago.
However, after a poor season back in the Premier League, which also involved off-the-pitch drama, Lukaku returned to Inter Milan on a season-long loan deal. At the time of writing, it looks highly unlikely the 29-year-old will put on a Chelsea shirt again.
Chelsea played a 4-2-2-2 formation on Saturday, where Raheem Sterling partnered Aubameyang in a front-two. Prior to the match at Selhurst Park, the Blues often operated with just one central striker, but by Saturday's showing, it looks like Aubameyang could benefit by having someone closer to him.
It was an important goal for Aubameyang, who is now off the mark for Chelsea in his third match since signing. Graham Potter, who picked up three points on his first Premier League match as Chelsea head coach, was delighted for the striker.
"It was an important goal," Potter told reporters after the match. "He has been working hard to get himself up to Premier League fitness and I have been really impressed with him. But any forward will tell you that it is important for them to score and it was an important goal for us."
Aubameyang will be hoping to continue his goal scoring form on Wednesday evening as Chelsea welcome AC Milan to Stamford Bridge in what is set to be a defining match for the hosts in their Champions League group.
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