Chelsea had a frustrating season last term, finishing in fifth position in the Premier League standings in a lacklustre attempt at defending their title.
There were quite a few players who were criticised for misfiring, but it was arguably Alvaro Morata who came under the most fire from fans and pundits. The Spaniard arrived at the Bridge during the summer of 2017 from Real Madrid and was expected to fill in the void that was left by Diego Costa, who had banged in 20 Premier League goals during the 2016-17 season to help the West Londoners lift the title.
Morata had shown glimpses of brilliance during his time with Madrid and Juventus but had never really established himself as someone who could win games for a club on a regular basis. He was expected to do this during his first season with the Blues but instead, he managed just 11 goals in the top flight during his first season in England.
As a result of Chelsea’s woeful performances that season, the 26-year-old came under scathing criticism and many Blues fans called for the club to sign a new striker, feeling that Morata was not good enough to lead the line for the club. Speculation became rampant that the striker would leave the club. However, he ended up remaining and has even been showing decent form during recent weeks as Maurizio Sarri’s men continue to defy the pre-season expectations of neutrals.
Now Morata has revealed that it was a chat with his wife that persuaded him not to leave Stamford Bridge.
He said to ABC: “I told my wife and my family that I had to take a step or two back to enjoy [football] again. I was under a lot of pressure and when you’re like that you stop enjoying [football].
“It is at that moment when you have to realise that either you let them help you and listen to you or you can keep on getting worse. This summer I said to myself once or twice that I wanted to go to a team where I would be happy again, without pressure.
“My wife laughed and said ‘do not say nonsense.’ Many things happen in your head but now I am enjoying [football] again. It was a matter of adjusting my head, which is what controls the body.”
