Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Striker Issues
Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be phased in "carefully", and the recent acquisition's return is vital for a team facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of securing honors this term.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three matches as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazil striker scored another two and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after joining from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "protected".
When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "For sure the conditioning element is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea deal with additional challenges beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until next month.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and a single assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last term, is still to score this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but earlier scored only once in the opening ten matches.
After 13 matches in every tournament no striker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.
Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the front five at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the first division this season.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers believe the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and footballers who wore it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances
A central player and backline player are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.
But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a digit that has always been related to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
