Jamie Gittens made his Premier League debut in Chelsea’s goalless draw with Crystal Palace in their season opener. Can he now follow it up with his first goal for the Blues when they travel to West Ham on Friday night?
Chelsea were held to an uneventful 0-0 draw at home to Crystal Palace last weekend, but summer signing Jamie Gittens will remember the fixture because it was his competitive debut for the club.
The 21-year-old English winger failed to show too much of his speed and directness on his debut. In fairness, Oliver Glasner’s Palace side defended superbly well by not allowing much space for any of the Blues attackers.
Minutes played Total shots Chances created Successful dribbles Touches in opposition box Fouls committed Accurate passes Match rating
54 2 2 2/5 (40%) 2 2 14/14 (100%) 6.8
Jamie Gittens statistics from Chelsea vs Crystal Palace via FOTMOB
Enzo Maresca’s team make the short trip to the London Stadium on Friday night to play West Ham. Hopefully, Gittens can show why the club splashed out £55m (Daily Mail) to sign him from Borussia Dortmund.
Chelsea fans suggest Estevao Willian should start over Gittens against West Ham, but it may be a bit harsh to drop the latter after just one game.
Jamie Gittens playing for Chelsea against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
What Niclas Fullkrug said about Jamie Gittens in 2023
If West Ham want the inside scoop on Gittens, Hammers striker Niclas Fullkrug, 32, previously played at Dortmund with him in the same attack.
Back in November 2023, Fullkrug explained what made then-teammate Gittens so dangerous going forward.
When discussing Gittens over 18 months ago, Fullkrug said via BVB Buzz: “He still has a bit of room for improvement in his decision-making, but he is doing really well. He is always a threat to the opposition.
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“We know when he gets the ball and has a one-on-one that we don’t need to offer him support. We let him play his game and create space for him. It’s worth its weight in gold to have a player like him in the team. We’re happy about that and hope that he continues like this.”
Niclas Fullkrug and Jamie Gittens celebrate a goal for Borussia Dortmund against Borussia Monchengladbach in the German Bundesliga.
Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images
Troy Deeney is a massive fan of Gittens and insists that the youngster’s end product will improve with more experience.
The speedster scored 17 goals and provided 14 assists in 107 first-team appearances in Dortmund colours. If he wants to cement a permanent spot in Chelsea’s XI on the left wing, he may need to slightly increase that ratio.
Jamie Gittens may be anxiously waiting for the next team sheet
Gittens lasted just 54 minutes into his Blues debut before he was taken off the pitch, so he must be keen to find out whether or not he’ll start the next match. Regardless of the outcome, it’s a long and busy season ahead with plenty of opportunities.
Chelsea’s predicted XI against West Ham excludes Gittens, but will Maresca see things the same way?
With his electric style, Gittens coming off the bench against West Ham as a fresh option wouldn’t be the worst idea. We’ll see as the opening weeks of the season unfold who the head coach prefers as his starting pair in the wide positions.