Chelsea forwards fight for the right to play alongside Lukaku

Around 30 minutes into Chelsea’s strolling victory over Crystal Palace, Thomas Tuchel launched an extraordinary rant at Christian Pulisic. The American had delayed playing a pass, thus breaking down a promising Chelsea attack, and Tuchel was so angry that it was almost a surprise that his clubbranded cap did not burst into flames.

Around 10 minutes later, Pulisic scored Chelsea’s second goal. That must have come as a relief for the 22-year-old, given the battering he had just taken from the sidelines, but he will no doubt be spending the next few days wondering whether it was enough to ensure he keeps his place in Tuchel’s attack.

Pulisic will not be alone in having such concerns, for the arrival of Romelu Lukaku has made Chelsea’s attacking options arguably the most complete in the Premier League. Lukaku, Pulisic, Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-odoi: not even Manchester City can match Chelsea for offensive depth (for now).

The question, then, is how it will all fit together once Lukaku is installed as the central figure of the front line.

“We have the No1 striker in, and we want to have him on the pitch,” Tuchel said. “That is very clear when you do this kind of transfer.”

In Tuchel’s current 3-4-3 shape, that means that there will be two places to fight for behind Lukaku. Against Palace at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, Mount and Pulisic took those roles. Havertz will come into consideration, inevitably, as will Ziyech.

And what of Werner? The erratic German was as wild as ever in his finishing, but he might well thrive in a left-sided role alongside Lukaku.

Intriguingly for Chelsea’s sup

porters, Tuchel also raised the prospect of a two-man attack. Lukaku thrived in such a set-up at Inter Milan.

“With Romelu we have the opportunity to play with two strikers,” Tuchel said.

Such a change in style would be encouraging news for Werner, who is understandably viewed as the most vulnerable member of the Chelsea attack. After all, if the German had fulfilled expectations last season, the club would not have felt