Delap Returns as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit suffered a 2-1 defeat against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "below standard".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap returns in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in last month.
Maresca said the young striker will be gradually introduced "carefully", and the recent acquisition's comeback is crucial for a team facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite pursuit by the Red Devils, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was second to expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the America. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Definitely the conditioning element is vital. When you are not at peak condition it's difficult to compete, particularly in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a distinctive forward to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea confront additional challenges beyond their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Forward Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem until next month.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has zero strikes and a single assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - matching academy forward Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last campaign, is still to score this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but earlier scored only once in the initial ten fixtures.
After 13 matches in all competitions no attacker has over two strikes, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four goals.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this season.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea supporters feel the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and footballers who wore it since the mid-2000s have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches
A engine room operator and defender are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham broke the curse with his achievement, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the number nine.
But Delap was unfazed when queried about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the Club World Cup.
"At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a number that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."
