The case for ageing Cavani grows after victory slips away

Lack of cutting edge to blame as Chelsea come up short, writes Matt Law at Stamford Bridge

No wonder Frank Lampard is trying to convince Chelsea to spend a fortune on a 32-year-old who cannot get a game for Paris St-germain. Just over 24 hours after declaring his admiration for Edinson Cavani, head coach Lampard watched his Chelsea team throw away what should have been a comfortable victory against 10-man Arsenal. And to add to his desperation, top scorer Tammy Abraham suffered an ankle injury scare and had to be helped off the pitch at the end of the game.

Lampard has been warning everyone who will listen that his team’s failure to take their chances could cost them dear and Chelsea now have a choice – spend big on Cavani or risk missing out on next season’s Champions League riches.

They thought they had won this game thanks to a late Cesar Azpilicueta goal, but Hector Bellerin rescued a point for the visitors that, frankly, should never have been there for the taking.

Cavani earns £8.5million after tax at PSG and has less than six months remaining on his contract. Under normal circumstances, the Uruguayan would not look like an attractive proposition. But Chelsea do not have too many choices and have already inquired as to whether or not any sort of loan deal could be struck. PSG would prefer a fee of at least £10million and they could well increase their asking price having seen the Blues fail to get past Arsenal.

The Gunners should have been dead and buried at half-time after former Chelsea defender David Luiz had been sent off and conceded the penalty from which Jorginho gave the hosts the lead.

Even before the spot-kick, Chelsea had swarmed all over the visitors and Abraham failed to score a header from around six yards that should have been meat and drink. Abraham has been superb for Chelsea this season, but there have been signs in recent games, not least in the defeat by Newcastle United, that he may be tiring. Lampard senses he needs help and cannot count on his wide men to shoulder some of the goalscoring burden.

Callum Hudson-odoi hit the top of the bar with a hopeful shot, but he and Willian are hardly prolific. The Brazilian, who started the campaign well, has only scored twice since October, while Hudson-odoi only recently netted his one and only Premier League goal. Christian Pulisic’s return from injury cannot come soon enough. The other big problem for Lampard is that, no matter how comfortable his team look, his defenders are not good enough to rely on single-goal leads – even against 10 men.

Lampard claimed he is unlikely to enter this month’s transfer market to try to solve his problems at the back, even though Nathan Ake can return for £40 million, so solutions will need to be found on the training ground.

It is also an uncomfortable fact that Chelsea have not always been at their best with N’golo Kante in the team this season and it was the midfielder’s second-half slip that let Gabriel Martinelli through to score Arsenal’s first equaliser. The France international eventually made way for Ross Barkley, as Lampard looked for goals.

Just before Michy Batshuayi’s introduction, Abraham once again headed straight at Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno when a goal looked likely, much to the frustration of Lampard.

Arsenal goalscorer Martinelli currently looks like the one piece of summer business that may rescue the reputation of head of football Raul Sanellhi.

While questions remain over the sense of committing a club record £72 million on Nicolas Pepe, the £7 million signing Martinelli is undoubtedly a gem and his goal meant the 18-year-old became the first Arsenal teenager to score 10 or more goals in a season since Nicolas Anelka.

The youngster’s efforts looked to have gone to waste when Azpilicueta poked the ball into the net, but Chelsea could not get over the line as Bellerin rescued a point with Arsenal’s second shot of the entire game.

Lampard will still be wondering how his team let this one slip and PSG will no doubt be waiting by the telephone while Cavani’s value steadily increases. Chelsea may have little alternative but to pay what it takes.