Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The Blues were beaten 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at their stadium on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's strikers are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap returns in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since sustaining the injury in the success over Fulham in last month.
Maresca said the young striker will be phased in "gradually", and the recent acquisition's availability is important for a club facing scrutiny over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from the Tractor Boys for a £30 million fee despite attention from Manchester United, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the young English striker was behind expensive recruit Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - 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 goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "shielded".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "For sure the fitness aspect is vital. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, particularly in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and give assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea face additional challenges beyond their attackers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Winger Cole Palmer has played two full matches all campaign and is not expected return from a groin problem until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has zero strikes and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since moving from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one setup - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from left-back last season, is yet to find the net this term. Winger Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his last two games, but earlier found the net just once in the initial ten fixtures.
After 13 matches in every tournament no attacker has above two scores, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four strikes.
Asked whether a lack of natural goalscorers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last season."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In addition, the West London club are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers believe the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been available since 2023, and footballers who donned it since the mid-2000s have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in 19 appearances
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 appearances
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - a single strike in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches
A engine room operator and backline player are among those listed, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his achievement, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when questioned about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your shirt. It's just a figure that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."