Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Aim to Solve Forward Concerns
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against surprise package Sunderland at their stadium on the weekend, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his squad's passes being "subpar".
Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap is back available in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on this week (prime time), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the victory over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca commented the 22-year-old will be phased in "gradually", and the recent acquisition's return is vital for a team facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of winning a trophy this campaign.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite pursuit by Manchester United, St James' Park side and the Toffees.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazilian forward notched additional strikes and three assists in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".
When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the physical part is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face wider issues in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.
Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and a single assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last term, is still to score this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but prior to that scored only once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen games in all competitions no attacker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.
Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We said many times that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last campaign."
Maresca has found ways to compete despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the West London club are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters believe the striker's jersey - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is jinxed. It had been available since 2023, and footballers who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A central player and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he said at the international tournament.
"Ultimately it's a digit on the shirt of your uniform. It's just a number that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."