Delap Back in Action as Chelsea Look to Address Striker Issues
Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "a lack of creativity" and his side's crossing being "below standard".
Chelsea's attackers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in August.
Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be slowly integrated "slowly", and the new recruit's return is important for a side facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of securing honors this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite attention from Manchester United, the Magpies and the Toffees.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the United States. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three assists in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the fitness aspect is important. When you are not 100% it's hard to perform, notably in this competition."
"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 score and create chances but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face wider issues apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and a single 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 shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has merely two scores and a single assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last campaign, is still to score this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one score and two goal contributions in his last two games, but before that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.
After 13 matches in various cups no attacker has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the fashion we managed last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this term.
Can Chelsea's Striker Jinx End?
Some Chelsea followers think the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the summer - is jinxed. It had been vacant since 2023, and squad members who sported it since the mid-2000s have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games
A central player and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.
But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.
"At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."
