Kai Havertz has made a strong case to Graham Potter that he should be the Blues’ first choice striker with a goal and assist vs Bournemouth.

Kai Havertz has made a statement of intent to Graham Potter finding the back of the net and grabbing an assist as Chelsea won their Premier League return against Bournemouth. Havertz slid home a delightful Raheem Sterling cross after 16 minutes before Mason Mount then doubled the Blues’ lead eight minutes later receiving Havertz’s pass on the edge of the box before guiding a superb effort beyond Mark Travers.

Despite Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang spending the entire World Cup break in west London, Havertz started at the tip of Chelsea’s attack with Armando Broja out for the season after suffering a serious knee injury. The German endured a difficult World Cup campaign with his nation knocked out in the group stages, despite his brace against Costa Rica.

Those goals saw Havertz named as player of the match but understandably he was not best pleased given Germany’s exit from Qatar. Since his arrival, the 23-year-old has struggled to nail down a consistent position, but he may have answered a call from ex-Chelsea player Joe Cole which would see him as a regular starter in one position.

Ahead of the game, speaking to Amazon Prime Video, Cole said: “Obviously [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang would be disappointed (to not be starting). He’s had six weeks with the team this game in mind, Kai’s come back from the World Cup, he had his moments, Germany were very disappointing, but Kai I thought I would like to see him play within the width of the box, movement, become a target man.”

Just 16 minutes into the Blues’ Premier League return, Havertz got the wrong side of a Bournemouth defender before sliding home a delightful Raheem Sterling cross. As Cole said, Havertz found himself in within the width of the box and he was able to convert clinically to put Chelsea in front.

At half-time, Cole was full of praise for the German international, who also provided the assist for Mount to double Chelsea’s lead after 24 minutes.

Cole said: “He’s [Havertz] been busy, he can drop into spaces and you see him in the build up, the ball comes up, he drops in and he’s sticking in between the sticks of the goal and gets his luck. He runs to the far post, lovely ball in from Sterling.”

SOURCE: football.london