Delap Makes Comeback as The Blues Seek to Fix Striker Issues
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "subpar".
Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in August.
Maresca stated the emerging talent will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the recent acquisition's comeback is important for a club facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of claiming silverware this season.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Manchester United, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this global competition - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".
When queried 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, particularly in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and create chances but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea confront broader problems beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not expected return from a groin injury until December.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one setup - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last season, is yet to find the net this term. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his last two games, but prior to that scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.
After 13 matches in all competitions no striker has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.
Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last term."
Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this season.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea supporters feel the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the summer - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and players who sported it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores 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) - one goal in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches
A midfielder and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.
But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your uniform. It's just a number that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
