“It will take time”- Arsenal legend urges patience with Chelsea’s high-profile newcomers

Paul Merson thinks Chelsea new signings will take time to forge chemistry with each other

Despite making significant transfers in the January transfer window, Chelsea were unable to earn a victory, as they were forced to settle for a second consecutive home draw with Fulham.

Mykhaylo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez, the two high-profile newcomers, were in the starting lineup against Fulham but contributed relatively little to help their team win.

However, Fernandez played the entire game and appeared to be Chelsea’s finest player, while Mudryk was unable to have the same impact on the game as he had against Liverpool and was replaced at halftime.

The Blues struggled to work together in the early going of the game, with numerous misplaced passes and a failure to neutralise Fulham’s threat.

But as the game went on, everything seemed to be going smoothly. The West Londoners’ draw against Fulham also showed that they need a striker, as Kai Havertz missed two clear-cut opportunities that would have given them a comfortable victory.

In an interview with Sky Sports, former Arsenal forward Paul Merson felt that the new players needed time, saying:

“It will take time for Chelsea’s new signings to gel together, and he says Mykhailo Mudryk shouldn’t have played against Fulham if he was unwell.”

Merson is right: it will take time for Chelsea’s new additions to adjust to life in the Premier League and form chemistry with each other on the pitch. It’s common for rival fans to revel in our newcomers’ alleged failures but that’s natural. It comes with the price tag and it just can’t be avoided.

However, they put on a positive display, with Noni Madueke making a strong statement with his performance, while David Datro Fofana also came close to breaking the deadlock.

The Argentine midfielder made more touches (59) and tackles (5) than any other player in the first half. He also came close to scoring a debut goal when his effort was a whisker wide from the far net.

More Chelsea News:

• Chelsea boss Graham Potter on awkward conversations regarding player inclusion in squads
• La Liga’s top executive has expressed doubt about Chelsea and the Premier League regarding spending prowess
• Chelsea could sell Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly among others in the 2023 summer window

Their productivity underlines that we have signed promising youngsters who are destined to smash the English top division as soon as they adjust to it. As Merson said, it will take time.