Enzo Maresca's secret weapon that makes Victor Osimhen to Chelsea transfer failure more bearable

Seventy nine minutes into Chelsea's Premier League clash with Bournemouth on Saturday night, Enzo Maresca gave Christopher Nkunku the nod.

Seven minutes later, Maresca's decision was vindicated - in emphatic style. After some nice footwork from Nkunku inside the Cherries' box, he somehow found a way to get a shot away and tuck it into the furthest point of the bottom corner and give Chelsea all three points - meaning it is back-to-back wins on the road for the Blues, who also claimed their second victory of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.

"Christoph is doing perfect," Maresca explained moments after the referee blew the full-time whistle. "He didn't deserve to stay out [of the side], Misha [Mudryk] didn't deserve but sometimes you have to take decisions. The good thing when they go inside is that they are ready and they give everything."

Chelsea have an Avengers-style bunch of attacking options to choose from in their squad. Nkunku, who has played just 80 minutes in the Premier League thus far this term, is having to fight for his place within the Chelsea attack as the likes of Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Joao Felix, Jadon Sancho, Mykhailo Mudryk, Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke are all competing for a spot in Maresca's team.

However, Nkunku is the most clinical of all of these players. And the stats prove it - albeit Nkunku's is a smaller sample size than players.

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For every 4.5 shots Nkunku has taken in the Premier League, the Frenchman has scored a goal. In total, over 15 appearances in the English top-flight, Nkunku has had 18 shots, 10 on target and scored four goals in the process.

In comparison, Jackson, who has played 39 times in the Premier League since joining Chelsea last summer, has had 89 shots, 47 on target, and scored 16 goals in total. That works out at every 5.5 shots the Senegal international takes, he manages to find the back of the net.

Palmer, including his time at Manchester City, scores - on average - every 5.7 shots. Mudryk averages a goal in almost every 10 shots (9.8), while Madueke scores in every 6.2 attempts.

In the Premier League, Felix, who spent the second half of the 2022/23 season on loan at Stamford Bridge, averages a goal in every 9.8 shots, while Sancho, who never got going at Manchester United, averages a goal in every 5.2 shots. Neto is the least clinical out of the Chelsea attackers with a goal on average every 13.5 shots.

Chelsea failed to sign Victor Osimhen in the summer transfer window despite the club's best efforts on deadline day. The Blues were in negotiations all day with the Nigerian and his camp but were unable to strike a deal that suited them, leaving Osimhen free to join Galatasaray on a season-long loan.

Nkunku, though, who has played as a No.9 in his time at Chelsea, and also with RB Leipzig previously, can make losing out on Osimhen much more bearable. His overall play is very good; especially his close control and dribbling ability.

But the thing that makes Nkunku so special is his tendency to get into those goal scoring positions - and then take his opportunities in emphatic style. Chelsea supporters may become more and more accustomed to seeing that balloon come out of Nkunku's sock as the season progresses.