Delap Returns as Chelsea Seek to Fix Forward Concerns
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with boss Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his team's delivery being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in last month.
Maresca stated the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the recent acquisition's return is crucial for a team facing criticism over their mixed results, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of securing honors this term.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for a £30 million fee despite attention from the Red Devils, St James' Park side and the Toffees.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazil striker added two more goals and three goal contributions in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".
When queried about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca said: "Definitely the fitness aspect is important. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, notably 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 distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Bayern legend, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea face broader problems in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.
Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is not expected return from a groin problem until December.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has failed to score and one assist in ten appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and one assist - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last campaign, is without a goal this term. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but before that got only one goal in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen games in every tournament no attacker has more than two goals, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four.
Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the way we have done last season."
Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite goal-scoring variability. Chelsea are second for set-piece goals in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the initial club to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this season.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters believe the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been available since recently, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 appearances
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 appearances
A midfielder and defender are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.
But Delap was unmoved when queried about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.
"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 forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
