Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Look to Address Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his side's crossing being "not the best".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap returns in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in August.
Maresca stated the young striker will be slowly integrated "gradually", and the recent acquisition's comeback is vital for a club facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their primary hope of securing honors this campaign.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite pursuit by the Red Devils, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was below expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".
When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "For sure the conditioning element is important. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, notably in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea confront wider issues apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until December.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has just two strikes and one assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last term, is still to score this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but earlier got only one goal in the opening ten matches.
After 13 matches in various cups no forward has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last season."
Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this term.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea fans believe the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been vacant since recently, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches
A central player and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.
But Delap was unmoved when queried about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.
"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a number that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."
