Delap Returns as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Attacking Problems
Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "subpar".
Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.
Maresca stated the young striker will be phased in "gradually", and the new recruit's return is crucial for a team facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite interest from Old Trafford club, the Magpies and Everton.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the United States. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three setups in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "For sure the physical part is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, notably in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to ones that score 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea deal with wider issues apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - equaling academy forward Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last season, is yet to find the net this campaign. Winger Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but before that scored only once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen games in every tournament no forward has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.
Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."
Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for free-kick and corner scores in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this campaign.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea fans feel the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and squad members 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) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games
A central player and backline player are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unfazed when asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."
