Alvaro Morata’s inconsistent finishing could cost Chelsea a shot at a trophy this season, Paul Merson has said.
Spain striker Morata has netted 13 goals in 28 appearances since joining Chelsea from Real Madrid in the summer.
He was far from at his best in Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates, missing a number of chances as Chelsea conceded a late goal to drop two points.
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‘Alvaro Morata has a flaw in his game which could end up costing Chelsea a trophy this season,’ Merson told the Daily Star.
‘I rate him highly and I think he will score lots of goals but I said when he arrived that he struggles with one-on-ones.
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‘Well he had three of those against Arsenal and he didn’t score with any. You have to finish one of those in a game like that. You have to.’
Former Arsenal and England star Merson insists Morata is open to improvement at Chelsea but says he would still be playing for Real if his finishing was more consistent.
‘Morata is quick and sharp and he’s not a bad egg like Diego Costa was – but he’s not the best one-on-one finisher and I’m not sure you can learn that,’ he added.
‘You can practice it, and he doesn’t exactly panic in front of goal, he’s quite calm. But some players are just more instinctive when it comes to situations like that.
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‘I still think he’s top drawer and he’s going to get even better at Chelsea because he’s still young. But he would still be at Real Madrid if he didn’t have that flaw in his game.’
Reigning Premier League champions Chelsea continue their FA Cup campaign with a third round clash against Norwich City on Saturday.
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