Morgan Rogers of Chelsea
Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Sky Sports pundit and former Arsenal forward Alan Smith made an interesting observation about Morgan Rogers while watching the Chelsea forward against Liverpool.
Rogers helped Chelsea to take the lead in their Carabao Cup tie at Anfield after scoring a penalty in the 40th minute. The attacking midfielder also converted his spot-kick in the shoot-out, which Liverpool eventually went on to win.
Rogers’ goal against Andoni Iraola’s side was his fifth of the season in all competitions. The 24-year-old has also provided four assists, including three in the Carabao Cup.
His performance at Anfield was not his worst in a Chelsea shirt. Even so, Smith does not think Rogers was himself on Wednesday night and thought his display was a “strange” one.
Can you remember a worse performance than Wesley Fofana's vs Liverpool? Tell us your ratings in the comments 👇
Fofana is most useless player i have ever come across in football. He should release out of chelsea team
I’d play a 3421 with Rogers & Estevao behind Emegha against Man U. I’d rather give Subuloye his debut than see Fofana again
Fofana MUST leave Chelsea club IMMEDIATELY. He must NOT play for Chelsea again Alonso MUST start giving Estevao enough playing times in 4:2:3:1 & 4:3:3 Formation
Commentating on the game for Sky Sports, he said: “It’s been a strange performance tonight from Rogers. He doesn’t seem quite himself.”
While Smith may have felt that Rogers was not at his best, the Englishman still ended up putting up some good numbers. For example, Rogers took six shots in total, according to Sofascore. He was easily Chelsea’s most dangerous player on the pitch.
Rogers also completed three out of four dribbles as he attacked Liverpool’s backline. He created chances, too.
The England international finished the game with one key pass to his name, while he also managed to create one big chance. Ultimately, it feels as though Smith is being a bit harsh here. If any Chelsea player deserves criticism, it is Fofana.
Fofana had a torrid time at Anfield. He missed the decisive penalty in the shootout and gave one away in normal time. Malo Gusto did not have a great game either.
In fact, there were cheers when Gusto was substituted in the second half. All in all, Rogers is the least of Xabi Alonso’s problems right now. The Spaniard has defenders he simply cannot trust, namely Fofana and Gusto.
Focusing on Rogers, though, his overall contribution should not be judged solely on whether he looked at his best against Liverpool. His ability to carry the ball into dangerous areas, take on defenders and create opportunities suggests that he remains an important attacking outlet for Chelsea.
Rather than focusing on one supposedly “strange” performance, hopefully Chelsea’s critics are not too harsh on the former Aston Villa man and consider the wider impact he has had this season, particularly his goal contributions and creativity in the Carabao Cup. If Chelsea are to improve going forward, they need to build on the strengths of players like Rogers while addressing the defensive errors that continue to cost them crucial results.