Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Seek to Fix Forward Concerns
Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a time of need for Chelsea.
The West London club suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the success over Fulham in August.
Maresca said the young striker will be phased in "slowly", and the new recruit's availability is crucial for a club facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this season.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite interest from the Red Devils, the Magpies and the Toffees.
Yet the young English striker was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Seleção attacker notched additional strikes and three assists in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca said 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: "Certainly the physical part is important. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, especially in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals annually like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or [Erling] Haaland."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea face additional challenges apart from their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not anticipated to feature from a groin injury until the winter.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and a single assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has merely two scores and a single assist - paralleling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last season, is yet to find the net this term. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his past two matches, but earlier got only one goal in the opening ten matches.
After 13 matches in various cups no forward has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.
Queried whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last season."
Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this season.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters feel the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been vacant since 2023, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 appearances
A central player and defender are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.
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.
"In the final analysis 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 appreciate and there's no pressure."