Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "not the best".
Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the Carabao Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in August.
Maresca said the young striker will be slowly integrated "carefully", and the recent acquisition's return is vital for a side facing scrutiny over their mixed results, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of securing honors this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by the Red Devils, St James' Park side and Everton.
Yet the young English striker was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three assists in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Certainly the physical part is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, particularly in this league."
"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 alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the City striker."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea confront additional challenges in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all term and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until the winter.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one setup - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from full-back last term, is still to score this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal 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 above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the front, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the English top division, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this term.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea fans feel the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been vacant since last year, and squad members who wore it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games
A central player and defensive specialist 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 thrived with nine on their back.
But Delap was unfazed when asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"In the final analysis it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a figure that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I like and there's zero expectation."