The Blues are currently stuck in mid-table, desperately chasing a European spot for next season. Meanwhile, the Tractor Boys have been superb and are on the verge of a place in the Premier League with a years’ work coming down to a two-way shootout between them and Leeds United this Saturday.
A player who has played a huge role in this Ipswich team is Chelsea loanee Omari Hutchinson who, at just 20 years old, seemingly has a bright future ahead of him.
Hutchinson stars at Ipswich
The start of his loan in East Anglia did not immediately go to plan, with the youngster having to settle for limited minutes in the early stages of the campaign but Hutchinson was determined to prove his worth and a huge goal against Southampton in mid-September ignited his season.
Brilliant performances have been strung out across the year, with two goals and an assist in a 6-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday being one of many standout displays.
Along with this, he has a clear knack for scoring important goals and late finishes against West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City, and Rotherham United have provided crucial points in their run-in.
But, his recent double against Hull City was a performance to cherish from the Cobham lad. Cutting inside onto his preferred left foot either side of half-time and producing two wonderful finishes into the top and bottom corner respectively as he helped his side draw 3-3 at The MKM Stadium.
His form in clutch moments is a trait many managers would appreciate, and with a return to Stamford Bridge on the cards, he could be firmly in Mauricio Pochettino’s plans next season.
Whilst talent is evident across the Blues front line, goals and assists have been hard to come by from the players aside from Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson.
Inconsistencies in Mudryk and Sterling on the left side of midfield have seen them only provide 16 goal contributions in the Premier League combined. With the form of Palmer making the side overly reliant on the 21-year-old.
Despite playing most of his games on the right-hand side for Kieran McKenna’s side, Hutchinson has scored three goals in his six appearances on the opposite wing. For Pochettino, the answer to his left-sided woes could be the versatility of the young loanee.
This season’s stats particularly back up his chances, with the academy graduate outperforming his expected goals by four – albeit in the Championship – and averaging higher than both of Chelsea’s left-wingers for shot-creating actions, as per FbRef.
Likewise, his dribbling is a key aspect and averaging in excess of Sterling in successful dribbles per 90 is truly remarkable. Furthermore, with his average being similar to that of Mudryk, Hutchinson’s composure in the final third is something that the Ukrainian has yet to showcase in his game in English football.
| Hutchinson, Mudryk and Sterling League Stats as per FotMob and FbRef | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Omari Hutchinson | Mykhailo Mudryk | Raheem Sterling |
| Appearances | 43 | 27 | 28 |
| Goals | 9 | 4 | 6 |
| Assists | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| xG | 5.10 | 3.61 | 6.16 |
| Successful Dribbles per 90 | 2.12 | 2.20 | 1.96 |
| Chances Created Per 90 | 1.51 | 1.78 | 1.25 |
| Shot Creating Actions Per 90 | 3.89 | 3.74 | 3.50 |
Pochettino should give Hutchinson a chance
It has clearly been a difficult season for Pochettino and his Chelsea side, but one thing they currently prioritise is producing young stars. Head of youth development Neil Bath must be delighted with the progress Hutchinson has made and will hope that he can make an impact on the first team next season.
With rumours circulating around Sterling’s future, if the Blues don’t bring in a new addition to the left side then they should give Hutchinson his chance to impress.
Mudryk is yet to convince and may be looking at the youngster’s form at Ipswich with some concern.
GET MORE NEWS HERE
Leave a Reply