Delap Back in Action as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Attacking Problems
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The Blues lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "not the best".
Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca stated the emerging talent will be phased in "slowly", and the new recruit's return is crucial for a club facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite attention from Old Trafford club, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three assists in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".
When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "For sure the physical part is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, especially in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea deal with additional challenges beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until the winter.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one assist - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last term, is still to score this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his past two matches, but earlier scored only once in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in various cups no forward has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.
Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last season."
Maresca has found ways to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this term.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea followers feel the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and squad members who donned it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games
A central player and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.
But Delap was unmoved when asked about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"In the final analysis it's a digit on the shirt of your shirt. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."
