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Chelsea news: Alvaro Morata makes surprise claim about Liverpool star Sadio Mane
CHELSEA striker Alvaro Morata has revealed he’s not under as much pressure to score as many goals as Liverpool’s Sadio Mane and Tottenham striker Harry Kane.
Morata arrived with huge expectations when he joined Chelsea in the summer of 2017 for a fee of £58million.
The Spaniard struggled to justify his big price-tag and he saw his form nosedive dramatically after Christmas.
However, despite a slow start to the current campaign, he has come alive in recent weeks, netting five times in his past six matches in all competitions.
He hit a double in the 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday at Stamford Bridge, but spurned a glorious opportunity to record a hat-trick.
While the likes of Kane at Tottenham and Liverpool’s Mane have been more regular contributors to the goalscoring charts in the Premier League, Morata doesn’t feel the need to compete with them.
“At the end of the season, if we want to fight for the Premier League, I need to score many goals, Eden [Hazard] has to score many goals, the other strikers, Willian, Pedro, [Ross] Barkley,” Morata said.
“There is Hazard, there is [Sadio] Mane, [Roberto] Firmino, [Sergio] Aguero, [Harry] Kane.
“This is the league with the best strikers in the world. I don't need to think about scoring more goals than other players.”
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I don't need to think about scoring more goals than other players
Although Morata has been routinely criticised, he insists he is on the way back up.
He added: “I had a period where everything – if it is raining, I'm angry because it's raining.
“If I miss, it's because the pitch is too wet. It was only excuses. It is not good.
“Everyone can have a bad period in their life, but we are famous, we have a lot of things.
I don't need to think about scoring more goals than other players
“Sometimes people think we are not human, with no feelings, with no problems.
“The important thing is to find the right balance. Now, I have, and I am very happy. I'm better.
“In the last month of last season, I was down, down, down, down. I cannot be more down.
“When you touch the limit, the only thing you can do is to come back.”
Chelsea take on BATE Borisov in the Europa League next on Thursday (5.55pm).