Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on Saturday, with boss Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap returns in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in August.
Maresca said the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the summer signing's comeback is crucial for a club facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of winning a trophy this season.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite attention from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three assists in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the fitness aspect is crucial. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea face additional challenges apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all season and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until next month.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and a single assist - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his last two games, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games.
After 13 matches in various cups no forward has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.
Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."
Maresca has found ways to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this campaign.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea fans believe the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and squad members who wore it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, 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 eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
- 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): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances
A central player and defensive specialist are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.
But Delap was unmoved when asked about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.
"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."