Former Arsenal man, Paul Merson, says he is worried about how Chelsea will finish the 2024-25 Premier League season.
Merson also expressed his disappointment at how they crashed out of the FA Cup last weekend despite taking the lead in the game, falling 2-1 to Brighton.
Chelsea will play again this weekend in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge, and Merson feels the Blues may not be able to withstand their visitors without their injured striker, Nicolas Jackson.
This means that the Blues will be fielding Christopher Nkunku to lead the frontline, and the former Arsenal man is of the opinion that this formation may not be helpful to Cole Palmer, who he believes plays better with Jackson in the attack.
“I was disappointed with Chelsea last weekend. They were 1-0 up against Brighton in the FA Cup and should have won that game. Instead, we saw them crumble and get knocked out in the fourth round!” he said in the preview of W25 matches as quoted by Metro.
He also feels that Jackson’s injury could pose a threat to Chelsea’s hopes of finishing within the top four teams this season.
“Nicolas Jackson is out injured, and he will be a massive miss for them. Even though some fans are unhappy with him and have been demanding the club to sign a new striker, they will now realise how much he will be missed.
“I think him being injured will definitely affect Cole Palmer. The way Jackson runs off the ball actually helps Palmer become a better, more impactful player.
“I worry for Chelsea in the race for the top four now that Jackson is injured. I’ve always said that Christopher Nkunku is more of a No. 10, and playing him at centre-forward isn’t the ideal solution.”
Brighton, on the other hand, are under no pressure and would be out to play their game.
“I’d be shocked if Chelsea win this game. I’m actually going for a repeat of what happened in the FA Cup,” Merson added.
Chelsea are currently occupying the fourth position in the league table with 43 points. A slip-up would mean that they could be displaced by Manchester City, who would be hoping to beat Newcastle United in one of this weekend’s fixtures.
