In the midst of last summer's transfer speculation, there were conversations around what Chelsea would have done if neither of the club's top two striker targets were acquired. While reports see-sawed between Erling Haaland and Romelu Lukaku, the general consensus among supporters was that if the best could not be bought, sticking with Thomas Tuchel's Champions League-winning goalscorer was the better bet.
Seven months after Chelsea broke their transfer record to sign Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan, it feels highly ironic that as Tuchel prepares his team for the second leg clash with Lille, his Champions League star remains the focal point over Lukaku. Kai Havertz has quickly hit the best form of his Chelsea career so far, netting four Premier League goals in his last three appearances.
He has suddenly emerged as a ruthless outlier in a mostly profligate attack, justifying Tuchel's decision to place Havertz as the central attacker since the first leg against Lille last month. It was in that game that Havertz fired Chelsea into an early lead with an emphatic header from a corner, followed by an influential and dynamic display.
