There was an alarming sense of deja vu at Stamford Bridge during and after Chelsea's woeful home defeat to Nottingham Forest before the international break; confronted by an inferior opponent and dominating the ball, the Blues were bereft of creativity and blunt in attack. Their profligacy was encapsulated by an inexplicable and inexcusable miss by striker Nicolas Jackson, who ballooned the ball into row Z from all of four yards out with just seven minutes left on the clock.
Chelsea's struggles in front of goal became infamous throughout a nightmarish 2022-23 season. The campaign was characterised by agonising home losses to relatively weaker opposition, and failing to put the ball in the back of the net was as much to blame as a leaky defence.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino has a huge job on his hands to get the attacking formula right, with the pressure already mounting after two defeats in just four league games. GOAL assesses his options before domestic action resumes...