The seasons of Chelsea and Ipswich Town couldn’t be more dissimilar.
Currently mired in midtable, the Blues are fighting hard to qualify for Europe the next season. After a year of hard effort, the Tractor Boys are about to play in the Premier League. This Saturday’s two-way playoff between them and Leeds United will determine their fate.
Omari Hutchinson, a 20-year-old player on loan from Chelsea, has been a key member of this Ipswich team and looks to have a bright career ahead of him.
The young player had to settle with little minutes during the first few games of the season after his loan in East Anglia did not go as planned. Nevertheless, Hutchinson was keen to show his worth, and a spectacular goal against Southampton in mid-September kicked off his season.
This year has seen a string of outstanding performances; one of the highlights was scoring two goals and providing an assist in a 6-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday.
In addition, he clearly has a flair for scoring big goals; in their final stretch, his late goals against Rotherham United, Birmingham City, and West Bromwich Albion have given them vital points.
However, the Cobham boy’s recent double against Hull City was a performance to remember. He helped his team draw 3-3 at The MKM Stadium by cutting inside onto his preferred left foot either side of halftime and firing two fantastic goals into the top and bottom corners, respectively.
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.
The Blues front line is full with quality, but everyone but Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson has struggled to find the net or provide an assist.
Only 16 goals have been contributed by Mudryk and Sterling combined in the Premier League due to their inconsistent play on the left side of midfield. Palmer’s play has made the team unduly dependent on the 21-year-old.
Hutchinson has made six appearances on the other wing for Kieran McKenna’s team, but he has scored three goals in his majority of games played on the right hand side. Pochettino may find that the youthful loanee’s adaptability is the solution to his left-sided problems.
The academy graduate’s statistics this season have been especially encouraging, as they have exceeded his projected goals by four (although in the Championship) and, according to FbRef, he has averaged more shot-creating actions than both of Chelsea’s left-wingers.
Similar to how important dribbling is, he averages more successful dribbles per ninety than Sterling, which is really impressive. Moreover, Hutchinson’s calmness in the closing third is something that the Ukrainian has not yet demonstrated in his English football career, despite his average being comparable to Mudryk’s.
Although Pochettino and his Chelsea team have undoubtedly had a challenging season, they now place a high priority on developing future stars. Neil Bath, the head of youth development, must be thrilled with Hutchinson’s progression and will be hoping that he can have an effect on the starting lineup the next year.
In light of the speculation around Sterling’s future, the Blues ought to give Hutchinson an opportunity to shine if they don’t recruit anyone on the left side.
Mudryk has not yet proven himself, and he may be concerned about the young player’s performance at Ipswich.
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