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Fernando Torres: One year on

Torres: One year on
© PA Photos
Fernando Torres has had a year to forget in a Chelsea shirt, so Sports Mole takes a look back on his first 12 months at Stamford Bridge.

A year ago Fernando Torres made the jump to Chelsea from Liverpool in a shock £50m, move citing dreams of success and trophies as his main motivation.

12 months later and the Spain international has just five goals to his name and a regular spot on the substitutes bench under manager Andre Villas-Boas, who took over at Stamford Bridge from Carlo Ancelotti last summer.

While the 27-year-old tries to end his goal drought, Sports Mole takes a look back at his Chelsea career so far and analyses why this was a year to forget for Torres.

January 2011

The former Atletico Madrid star became a Chelsea player on the final day of the winter transfer window last year after handing in a transfer request to then club Liverpool. It was a frantic end to January, with Blues owner Roman Abramovich forking out £50m for the striker in a bid to bolster Chelsea's squad for their campaign in the Champions League. Despite a prolific term on Merseyside, it would take up to three months until the Spaniard netted his first goal in a Blues shirt.

April 2011

Torres eventually scored his debut goal on April 23 in a 3-0 win over West Ham United at Stamford Bridge in the remaining ten minutes of the fixture. The Spaniard's teammates rallied around him to celebrate, displaying a sign of relief that Torres had finally got off the mark, with hopes that the floodgates were now opened for the hitman.

September 2011

With the 2010/11 season behind him, Torres had a fresh start to impose his ability on Andre Villas-Boas's side. However, it took nine games for the Spaniard to score his second goal for Chelsea following a frustrating start to the new campaign.

The strike came at Old Trafford during the Blues' 3-1 defeat to Manchester United. Despite getting off the mark in Manchester, the goal was bittersweet for the striker as he missed an open chance to drag Chelsea back into the game before relinquishing three points in the North West.

A week later Torres claimed another goal for the Blues during a 4-1 victory over Swansea City. Again, the triumph was marred by the striker's sending off in the first half after a late challenge on the Swans midfielder Mark Gower.

October 2011

Chelsea's attention turned to the Champions League and a group clash against Genk on home turf. Torres scored a brace in the Blues' comfortable 5-0 win over the Belgium side. The impressive performance from the Spaniard prompted suggestions that the 27-year-old could kick-start his form in front of goal.

November 2011

Torres was called up for international duty in November for a match against England. Despite being integral in Spain's European Championships victory in 2008, the Spaniard only entered the fray after an hour of play and failed to make an impact in his country's 1-0 defeat to the Three Lions.

January 2012

While the striker showed promising signs of form for Chelsea over the last few months, the Spaniard had to face periods on the substitutes bench as well as rumours linking him with a switch away from Stamford Bridge.

While boss Villas-Boas continues to show his support to the frontman, Torres still awaits his sixth goal in a Chelsea shirt.

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