Delap Makes Comeback as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "not the best".
Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in August.
Maresca stated the young striker will be gradually introduced "gradually", and the summer signing's return 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 Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite pursuit by Manchester United, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this global competition - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "Certainly the physical part is vital. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, particularly in this league."
"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 give 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."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea deal with wider issues in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until the winter.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has no goals and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from left-back last term, is without a goal this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two assists in his last two games, but earlier got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no attacker has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.
Questioned whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the way we have done last campaign."
Maresca has discovered methods to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the Blues are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the Premier League this term.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea followers believe the striker's jersey - claimed by Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and squad members who wore it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in 20 games
A midfielder and backline player are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.
But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.
"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a number that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no added burden."
