Demba Ba has been tipped to make a major impact on Chelsea’s bid to claim the Premier League title for the first time since 2010.
Ba scored his first league goal of the season when he completed the Blues’ 3-1 victory over Southampton on Sunday and pressed his claims to start when Jose Mourinho’s side face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday.
The Senegal striker’s contribution after appearing as a half-time substitute helped turn the game Chelsea’s way and defender Branislav Ivanovic believes Ba’s physical strength offers a different option than that provided by fellow forwards Fernando Torres and Samuel Eto’o.
Demba shows every minute he’s on the pitch that he tries to fight and is a physical striker
Ivanovic said: “Demba shows every minute he’s on the pitch that he tries to fight and is a physical striker.
“Sometimes you have to change your style of football and try to hit long balls. He’s very useful for this team and very important.
“Everyone is happy about Demba scoring his first league goal, but it’s not just about that because he can keep the ball and he did that against Southampton.”
Chelsea’s strikers have struggled to click this season but Ivanovic believes the different styles of their three main forwards will help in the club’s bid for honours.
“This is a good thing for our team. We can change each game and also change quickly during the game,” he said.