Delap Makes Comeback as The Blues Aim to Solve Striker Issues
Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be phased in "gradually", and the recent acquisition's availability is crucial for a side facing questions over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of securing honors this campaign.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Tractor Boys for £30m despite interest from the Red Devils, St James' Park side and Goodison Park team.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".
When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not 100% it's challenging to excel, especially in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea confront broader problems apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and a single assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but prior to that found the net just once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen games in every tournament no attacker has above two scores, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.
Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the front five at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."
Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the Blues are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the top flight this campaign.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters think the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the off-season - is hexed. It had been vacant since last year, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
- 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 scores in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances
A engine room operator and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx 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 asked about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.
"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt 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 no pressure."
