Morgan Rogers has joined some of Chelsea’s biggest Premier League names after extending his excellent start to the season against Hull City.
The summer signing opened the scoring after just seven minutes at Stamford Bridge, driving forward before beating Konstantinos Tzolakis at his near post.
Chelsea eventually had to settle for a 2-2 draw, but Rogers still reached a significant individual milestone.
Opta’s post-match analysis showed that Rogers has become only the fifth Chelsea player to score or assist in each of the club’s opening four Premier League matches of a season.
The other names on the list show the level of company he has joined.
Morgan Rogers joins elite Chelsea company
Rogers has now matched a group containing:
Didier Drogba — 2010/11
Cesc Fabregas — 2014/15
Diego Costa — 2014/15 and 2016/17
Eden Hazard — 2018/19
Those four players all became hugely important figures at Stamford Bridge.
Rogers has needed only four league appearances this season to place himself alongside them.
His run began with a goal against Fulham before he registered another contribution against Brighton.
He then struck early against Arsenal before finding the net again against Hull.
ReadChelsea previously highlighted how Rogers punished Arsenal after Chelsea won the race for his signature, and the midfielder has continued to build on that performance.
Hull were the latest side unable to keep him quiet.
Rogers is becoming increasingly important for Chelsea
Rogers’ impact has not been restricted to the Premier League.
He also played a decisive role during Chelsea’s remarkable Carabao Cup victory over Leeds United.
ReadChelsea examined how three assists in one half underlined Rogers’ growing importance to Xabi Alonso after he helped transform that contest.
His goal against Hull showed another part of his game.
Rogers collected possession with space ahead of him, attacked the defence directly and took his shot early enough to beat Tzolakis at the near post.
That ability to carry the ball at pace and attack space is one of the qualities Chelsea wanted when they brought him to Stamford Bridge.
When Chelsea confirmed Rogers’ arrival, the club highlighted a player who had already established himself as one of the Premier League’s leading young attacking talents.
He has adapted quickly to life in west London.
Rogers, Palmer and Joao Pedro give Alonso major attacking threat
Chelsea’s defensive problems will understandably dominate much of the reaction to the Hull result.
The attack tells a very different story.
Rogers scored the opener before Joao Pedro later equalised from Cole Palmer’s delivery.
That meant Chelsea’s leading attacking players again made decisive contributions even though the Blues could not secure all three points.
The combination is becoming increasingly important for Alonso.
Rogers can operate between the lines, carry Chelsea forward through midfield and attack space aggressively whenever possession changes hands.
Those qualities make him difficult to defend and increasingly difficult to leave out.
Four Premier League games remain a small sample.
But joining a Chelsea list containing Drogba, Fabregas, Costa and Hazard is a strong indication of just how productive Rogers has already been.
Chelsea may have left Stamford Bridge frustrated by the result.
Rogers can still be extremely satisfied with the way his individual season has started.
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