Chelsea will feel that the international break arrived at the wrong time as they had managed to build up some confidence over the previous few weeks.
The Blues are undefeated in their previous three matches, with a win against Tottenham Hotspur sandwiched between an EFL Cup victory over Blackburn Rovers and a dramatic 4-4 draw with Manchester City.
It took a last-minute equaliser to secure a share of the spoils against the current Premier League champions, and it proves that they can certainly score their fair share of goals against the top sides.
On the downside, the Stamford Bridge side have conceded 16 goals in 12 league matches, suggesting that their defence is not quite up to the required standard as of yet.
Mauricio Pochettino did bring a few new faces to the Blues during the summer transfer window and with January fast approaching, the head coach could make further additions to his side.
While recent results indicate that the club could be about to deliver some consistent form, the Argentinian may wish to bolster his squad and, if given time, he could return Chelsea to winning trophies.
Chelsea transfer news – Ivan Toney
According to talkSPORT, Chelsea have shown interest in Brentford striker Ivan Toney recently as they look to add to their attacking options.
They are not the only club sniffing around the forward, however, as Arsenal are also keeping tabs on the Englishman ahead of the January window.
According to the report, the Bees are confident that he will sign a new deal at the club, with his existing deal set to expire at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
Toney is currently serving an eight-month ban from all footballing activities due to betting offences, which means he is not able to play competitively until January, yet this has not put off clubs such as Chelsea and Arsenal as they chase a move for the player.
Brentford valued him at around £80m during the summer transfer window when clubs were circling, and it remains to be seen exactly how much it could cost the Blues this time around.
The stats that show Ivan Toney would be a good signing for Chelsea
The Blues have struggled on the goalscoring front in recent times. This season, their current high scorer is Nicolas Jackson with just seven goals across 14 matches.
Last season was even worse as they had no player break into double figures and it was no surprise that they finished in the bottom half of the league table, while in the 2021/22 campaign, Romelu Lukaku was their top scorer with 15 goals.
Finding a striker with a keen eye for goal has clearly been a problem for the club, but Toney would be an ideal signing, especially with his Premier League record.
Since Brentford were promoted to the top flight ahead of the 2021/22 season, Toney has played 66 league matches and scored 32 goals while registering nine assists.
A wonderful record and he even finished last season ranked third in the Premier League Golden Boot, proving that he belongs among the elite.
Thomas Frank has lavished one of his best players with praise in the past, saying: "He is a special footballer, I think his character is unique in terms of leadership and driving his team. His link-up play and the way he sees his team-mates around in terms of combinations and then his ability to score goals. He is an all-around football player."
12
20
5
4
0.9
1.3
10
12
0.7
0.5
There is no doubt he could add something extra to the Chelsea attack. Not only did Toney rank first across the squad in the league for goals and assists last term (24), but he also topped the pile for shots on target per match (1.3) and penalties won (three), along with ranking second for big chances created (12), indicating how impressive he was in the final third.
His attributes would allow him to thrive in the current Blues setup, especially with a player like Cole Palmer operating just behind him in a number ten role.
Cole Palmer’s season in numbers
The Blues managed to snatch the youngster away from City during the summer for a fee of around £40m, and judging by his recent form, it could turn into one of their finest pieces of transfer business in recent years.
Having broken through at City last term, making 25 appearances across all competitions, he ended up winning the treble and his future looked bright.
His move to Chelsea was perhaps a strange one, yet he is proving that it may have been the correct choice, as he is gaining regular games in the starting XI and contributing effectively.
The Englishman currently ranks second in the squad for goals and assists in the top flight this season (six) while also ranking first for 'big chances' created (five), fourth for key passes per game (1.4) and second for shots on target per game (0.8), certainly proving his value so far.
These statistics could allow him to form a wonderful duo with Toney as he could supply him with a constant string of passes that the Brentford striker would be dying to finish off, given how often the England international can create 'big chances' for his teammates.
Palmer’s creativity makes him an extremely exciting prospect and, with his favoured position being just behind the main striker as a number ten, this could benefit Toney massively.
Whether or not a move for the 27-year-old marksman goes through remains to be seen but, as evidenced, Pochettino is not afraid of ripping up what has not worked and bringing new players into the fold.
Palmer could be a phenomenal talent if he continues to live up to his early promise, and he now needs someone in front of him who is ruthless and able to convert chances on a regular basis.
Toney has proven over the previous two seasons that he can mingle with the elite strikers in the top flight and moving to Chelsea, where he would have better players around him, could take his game to the next level as a lethal partner for Palmer at the top end of the pitch.
The next few weeks could be very interesting with regard to whom the club could sign in January.
