Confirmed! Chelsea's Bomb Squad has its newest member

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 26 Aug 2024 15:14 BST
• 4 min read

Mykhailo Mudryk did the seemingly impossible on Sunday as Chelsea roared to a 6-2 victory over Wolves in the Premier League: as an attacker in a team that scored six goals, he was the worst player on the park.

That’s according to FootballCritic, whose algorithm gave the Ukraine international star a score of just 5.1 for his display.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca would likely agree with this assessment, privately at least.

READ MORE: Chelsea target two cheap alternatives to Osimhen after 'extraordinary' wage demands

Even after the game, the Blues boss could not help firing a barb at the forward, who he had withdrawn at half-time, when the score was 2-2.

“I was not happy,” the Italian admitted when asked why Mudryk was replaced.

“I think in some moments we can manage some situations better. He was working very hard off the ball and that was very good. But in terms of on the ball, I expect a bit more quality from Misha.”

Chelsea have several players lined up to leave for the end on the transfer window in what has been dubbed their 'Bomb Squad'. Mudryk needs to join them.

READ MORE: What is Chelsea's Bomb Squad? Who's in it and where will they be transferred?

Let Misha cook?

After 18 months at Chelsea, patience among the supporters, who were initially supportive of the 23-year-old after a €70 million move from Shakhtar Donetsk, is wearing thin.

Mudryk does not look, as Roberto De Zerbi claimed, like a potential Ballon d’Or winner. Instead, he appears that he doesn’t belong at anything like the levels that Chelsea aspire to.

Sunday’s non-performance only served to reinforce that sentiment as Mudryk turned in a poorer performance than any of a Wolves back four that conceded six.

Everything he did turned to lead. His pass completion was down at 63%, he won one of five duels and failed to win the one aerial duel he took part in. In just 13 touches, he gave possession up on six occasions, and of course he did not deliver a key pass or have any type of shot.

Bringing his troubles into sharper focus was the immediate impact of debutant Pedro Neto, who delivered an assist after replacing him and scored 7.1 on FootballCritic.

If the Portuguese’s performance spells trouble for Mudryk, it’s a problem that has been looming for months.

Now Chelsea have to find a solution to this problem: where can Mudryk possibly go to rediscover his form? They’ve got less tha five days to find an answer.

Sister club Strasbourg could be one solution, with teams unlikely to be clamouring for a figure who is one of the most out-of-form in all of Europe.