Michy Batshuayi and Olivier Giroud have vied with Tammy Abraham for a place leading the attack, and have mostly made their impact off the bench or when the young Englishman has been injured…

Michy Batshuayi: 24 appearances (19 as a sub), six goals, two assists

‘Everybody is different, sometimes if a player is not playing so much they can ask questions, be upset, be down, and Michy’s shown the opposite. He’s positive, hard-working, and loves scoring goals.’

A hallmark of Michy Batshuayi’s time at Chelsea has been scoring important goals at crucial moments, and for arguably our most impressive victory thus far season it was he who struck the decisive blow.

Ajax intervention

With four minutes remaining of a tense Champions League encounter away to Ajax, Batshuayi converted Christian Pulisic’s cross to secure a famous 1-0 win in the Dutch capital. It was his first Champions League goal for us since doing similar away to Atletico Madrid a couple of years prior, and went a long way to ensuring it was us and not Ajax who made it out of the group stage.

Another hallmark of Batshuayi’s near-four years in west London is that he has mostly been used as an impact substitute; that has remained the case under Frank Lampard, with 15 of his 16 Premier League appearances to date coming off the bench. Highlights have included an assist for Mason Mount at Wolves and a goal of his own against Southampton during a profitable Autumn spell.

Clinical in the cups

It is in the domestic cup competitions where Batshuayi has seen the most match action, starting four of our five games to date. In our Carabao Cup opener he netted a well-taken brace against Grimsby, and followed that up with a sublime individual strike against Manchester United at the Bridge in defeat. A more rudimentary effort followed away to Hull at the same stage of the FA Cup, the most recent of his six goals this season.

Olivier Giroud: 13 appearances (five as a sub), three goals

‘Since I have been back at Chelsea, Olivier has been brilliant as a professional and as a man in general. He has great qualities to help the squad both on and off the pitch, not only with his talent but with the example he sets every day and the experience he brings to our young squad.’

Those were Frank Lampard’s words when it was announced last month Olivier Giroud would be extending his stay at Chelsea for the 2020/21 season. For a period in January it seemed Giroud might move on, but he remained at the Bridge and was heavily involved after the winter break.

Following a bright cameo off the bench against Manchester United, he started our next five games in all competitions prior to lockdown, re-emphasising his importance to the squad by taking on the responsibility of leading the attack with Tammy Abraham injured.

He made a significant contribution, too, not least when he expertly found the net to open the scoring in the win against Tottenham in February. He also helped to knock Liverpool out of the FA Cup, and netted in our last league game before the current hiatus, against Everton.

Super Cup goal

At the beginning of his second full season at Chelsea, Giroud had been very much involved, starting and scoring in the Super Cup in Istanbul, and retaining his place for the visit of Leicester a few days later.

However, with Tammy Abraham hitting top form and Michy Batshuayi the favoured option off the bench, Giroud would play just 90 minutes of Premier League football from the end of August until mid-February, when he would return with a bang to remind everyone of his credentials. The Frenchman’s continued commitment in training, along with the way he handled his omission from the side during those quieter months, helped explain Lampard’s praise upon the contract news.

Michy Batshuayi vs Olivier Giroud Premier League 2019/20 player comparison

Click here to read the other editions of our Season So Far player review series.

Michy Batshuayi stats

Michy Batshuayi Premier League appearances 2019/20

Batshuayi has played 16 times in the Premier League for Chelsea this season, 15 of those off the bench.

Michy Batshuayi Champions League appearances 2019/20

Batshuayi has featured four times in our Champions League campaign.

Michy Batshuayi FA Cup appearances 2019/20

Batshuayi has played twice in the FA Cup this season, against Nottingham Forest and Hull City, scoring in the latter game.

Michy Batshuayi League Cup appearances 2019/20

Batshuayi featured in both our Carabao Cup ties, scoring three goals.

Michy Batshuayi goals 2019/20

Batshuayi has scored six goals this season, one in the Premier League, one in the Champions League, one in the FA Cup and three in the Carabao Cup.

Olivier Giroud stats

Olivier Giroud Premier League appearances 2019/20

Giroud has played nine times in the Premier League for Chelsea this season, scoring twice.

Olivier Giroud Champions League appearances 2019/20

Giroud has featured twice in our Champions League campaign, in our first and most recent matches. He also played and scored in the Super Cup.

Olivier Giroud FA Cup appearances 2019/20

Giroud has played once in the FA Cup this season, the victory over Liverpool in the fifth round.

Olivier Giroud League Cup appearances 2019/20

Giroud did not play in the Carabao Cup this season.

Olivier Giroud goals 2019/20

Giroud has scored three goals this season, including against Everton in our most recent game.