Delap Makes Comeback as The Blues Look to Address Striker Issues
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The Blues were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "below standard".
Chelsea's attackers are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (prime time), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in August.
Maresca commented the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the new recruit's comeback is important for a team facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of claiming silverware this campaign.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite interest from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".
When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca commented: "Certainly the conditioning element is vital. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, notably in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea deal with broader problems in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Attacker Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until December.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and one setup - matching youth product Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last season, is yet to find the net this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but earlier got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no striker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.
Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the five players at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last season."
Maresca has developed approaches to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this term.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea fans believe the number nine shirt - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been vacant since 2023, and players who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
- 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 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances
A central player and defender are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with nine on their back.
But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a digit that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I like and there's zero expectation."
