When Chelsea signed Spanish forward Alvaro Morata last summer from Real Madrid he was bought as a replacement for Atletico Madrid-bound Diego Costa.

The only problem is Costa was a snarly, horribly character on the pitch, who would do everything humanly possible to get the better of the opposition. Morata is more like that nice polite girl that a girl would not mind taking home to the parents.

Last season Morata experienced a mixed campaign, despite seemingly being well suited to life in the Premier League. He failed to impress in Chelsea’s opening game against Huddersfield this season, and now some are questioning whether he should be the first-choice striker for the Blues.

Higuain’s signing would have affected Morata greatly

According to reports, Argentinian striker Gonzalo Higuain turned down a move to Chelsea in favour of staying in Italy with AC Milan. The fact that Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri is a big fan of Higuain is not a secret.

In fact, Sarri has spoken of Higuain’s quality in the past. If the Argentinian international would have signed for the Blues, then I do believe that Morata may have been sold or he could have found himself on the bench until January. Morata arrived to be the main man at Stamford Bridge. Instead, his status as the first-choice striker at the club is in question.

Giroud is not a bad alternative

The problem that Morata has at Chelsea is that Blues boss Sarri has a very viable alternative to the Spaniard in former Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud. The experienced French international striker has the advantage of having been relatively prolific in the English top-flight.

The 31-year-old is the typical central striker who is the focal point of an attack. In many ways, he is like an old-fashioned target man.

Giroud proved in his time at Arsenal he is not a world-class striker, as everybody connected with the Gunners during Giroud’s stay yearned for an upgrade. However, despite having the potential to become a world-class striker, Morata has failed to live up to expectations at Stamford Bridge so far.

If he continues to struggle as Chelsea’s main striker, then Morata may never prove he is a top Premier League striker, never mind a world-class one.

Morata set to start against Arsenal this evening

Chelsea host London rivals Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in today’s late kick-off in the Premier League. Morata is likely to start again up front for the Blues, as they look to make it two wins out of two in the Premier League under Sarri.

This season is a big one in the Chelsea career of Morata. The 25-year-old has shown in the past that he can score goals at the highest level in La Liga, Serie A and the Champions League, albeit mostly as a bit-part player. Morata did not have a disastrous debut campaign in the Premier League. However, due to his price tag, reputation and the man he replaced, Morata’s campaign may have been harshly judged.

It is now up to the Spain international to live up to his potential in the Premier League for the Blues. Morata is a confidence player, so if he can score against Arsenal then no doubt it will give him a major boost and only be good for his future at Chelsea.

Can Alvaro Morata prove himself in the Premier League this season?