Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Look to Address Attacking Problems
Forward Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "subpar".
Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and assists as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (prime time), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in last month.
Maresca said the young striker will be phased in "slowly", and the summer signing's return is vital for a side facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this campaign.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by Manchester United, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".
When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Certainly the physical part is important. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea deal with wider issues in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until the winter.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one assist - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last term, is without a goal this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but before that got only one goal in the first 10 games.
After thirteen games in various cups no striker has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last season."
Maresca has discovered methods to compete 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 Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this term.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea fans think the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been available since 2023, and players who donned it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches
A engine room operator and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unfazed when asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.
"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your kit. It's just a digit that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
