Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has praised Alvaro Morata despite the widespread criticism the striker has had to endure.
Since moving to England from Juventus in 2017 the Spaniard has come under heavy scrutiny form some quarters given his inconsistency in finding the back of the net.
So far this campaign, however, new manager Sarri has shown faith in his man at the expense of World Cup winner Olivier Giroud, and seemingly shows no sign of altering his forward line any time soon.
The Italian said: “Morata is a quality player, fast and technically gifted. He's a sensible person and the difficulties had hurt him.
"The results and the quality of our football are positive. 18 games without a loss in such a competitive reality show that we're on the right track.”
Morata started the season in a similarly disappointing manner to the way in which he finished last term, scoring just once in his first nine appearances.
Sarri’s faith has shown dividends in recent weeks, however, bringing his tally to the season to five goals. The 26-year-old found the net 16 times in 42 appearances last season.
His bid to become Chelsea’s undisputed centre forward has been aided somewhat by the nightmarish form of his colleague Giroud. Despite helping his nation lift the World Cup in Russia earlier this year, the Frenchman finished the tournament without registering a single shot on target.
The 32-year-old hasn’t fared much better at a domestic level and has scored just once so far this season, starting only four league games in the process.
In spite of this, Giroud has vowed to stay and fight for his place in the starting line-up at Stamford Bridge.
Speaking to Telefoot, he said: “I am going to fight and for the moment, it is not a question about seeking a departure. I am going to stick in there and do not expect me to give up.”
Chelsea face Tottenham at Wembley on Saturday, looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the season and open up a four point gap over their London rivals.
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