Timo Werner may lead the team in “goal contributions” (i.e. goals + assists), but his goal-scoring troubles remain front and center of the narrative of his first season in the Premier League. His goal today was just his 11th for the season and just second in the league since early November.
To his credit, Werner has kept working and grinding and as he revealed after the game, his teammates give him plenty of support as well. Warning: wholesome content incoming.
“Callum [Hudson-Odoi] said to me I’ll score today, and 30 seconds later Tammy [Abraham] came to me and said I’d score today. They told me to point to them when I score.”
And so, point to them he did.
You might say that not even Werner could miss from that position, but as he himself proved later in the game, he’s quite capable of missing just about from anywhere. After Lukasz Fabianski gave up a rebound from a Mason Mount long shot, Werner was in the right place at the right time to put the ball in the net.
Except he put the ball wide of the far post.
At least we won, so we could all see the funny side of things afterwards, including Timo himself.
“The second chance I have to score, but I have to come back slowly. One goal is enough. Two goals might be too much for the beginning!
“I’m very happy that we won this game. It’s a big win for us in the race for the top four. It’s the best feeling after winning a game to score a goal. It was really important for me and for the whole team. It’s great to be back on the scoresheet. [...] This season it’s not only the confidence, maybe it’s also luck. Last year the ball always went in, this year it’s different. I’m confident that the chances like my second one will also go in in the next weeks and months.”
-Timo Werner; source: Sky via BBC
Thomas Tuchel’s reaction tells the story quite well.
Tuchel’s reaction has me crying pic.twitter.com/qtJqidjk3r
— Pys (@CFCPys) April 24, 2021
Fortunately, Chelsea were not made to pay for that profligacy. But next time, maybe tell Timo that he’s going to score TWICE.
Or just give Tammy a start.