Delap Returns as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Forward Concerns
Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a muscle issue at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "below standard".
Chelsea's forwards are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in last month.
Maresca commented the young striker will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the recent acquisition's return is crucial for a side facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their best opportunity of claiming silverware this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite interest from the Red Devils, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.
Yet the young English striker was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of a trio of 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: "Definitely the physical part is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a different kind of nine to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront wider issues in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Attacker Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not expected return from a groin injury until December.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has only two goals and one assist - matching youth product Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last term, is without a goal this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his last two games, but prior to that scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.
After 13 matches in various cups no forward has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.
Questioned whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last campaign."
Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second for dead-ball situations in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten distinct net-finders in the top flight this season.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea supporters think the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and players who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches
A central player and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would contend 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 unfazed when queried about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the international tournament.
"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a number that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
