Tammy Abraham continues to prove Chelsea don't need a new striker
By Tom Gott
Tammy Abraham's future has been in the headlines for a while, but not because of anything he has actually done.
Instead, it's rumours that Chelsea are prepared to go all-out to sign Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland this summer, with the Blues seemingly determined to sign one world-class striker ahead of the 2021/22 season.
Abraham had to respond to those reports when he started Sunday's FA Cup meeting with Luton Town, and it's safe to say he did exactly that.
With some suggesting this could have been a make-or-break game for Chelsea's season, Abraham rose to the occasion with an impressive hat-trick and a fantastic all-round performance in the 3-1 win which showed he was up for the fight.
He bagged his first two early on, first with his foot and then with his head, but he also brought the typical all-round style of play which we have come to expect from Abraham this season.
Whether dropping deep to link up with the creative players or getting into a physical battle against Luton's three centre-backs, Abraham was ready to do whatever it took and looked good value for his three goals.
Scoring is s??w problem for Tammy Abraham ❄️#EmiratesFACup @ChelseaFC pic.twitter.com/OgYq5cOAGm
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 24, 2021
There was an energy in his game which was lacking last time out against Leicester City, and while there's a justifiable argument that Abraham wasn't up against the same quality here, the important thing was that he was doing the basics again.
It was encouraging to see the 23-year-old charging around the field with real enthusiasm. He was tracking back when required and always wanted the ball played into his feet - an outlet Chelsea haven't always had in the last few weeks.
The next step for Abraham is doing this consistently and doing this against top opposition. That's something Haaland has already perfected, so it's not hard to see why Chelsea would be keen on the Norwegian.
However, Abraham has proved that he deserves the chance to hit that level himself. He's shown real quality and has been Chelsea's top striker this season, and he's clearly up for the challenge. If Chelsea do want to replace him, he's not going down without a fight.