Delap Returns as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Attacking Problems
Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "below standard".
Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in August.
Maresca stated the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the new recruit's comeback is vital for a club facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of claiming silverware this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite interest from the Red Devils, the Magpies and Everton.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Definitely the conditioning element is important. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea deal with broader problems in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is not expected return from a lower body issue until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one assist - matching youth product Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last term, is still to score this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his last two games, but earlier found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.
After 13 matches in various cups no striker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the front, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this season.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea fans feel the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been available since 2023, and footballers who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games
A midfielder and defender are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the hoodoo. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.
"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a figure that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."
