Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Seek to Fix 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 Stamford Bridge on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "not the best".
Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca stated the young striker will be phased in "gradually", and the summer signing's return is vital for a team facing criticism over their unpredictability, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of winning a trophy this campaign.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for £30m despite pursuit by Manchester United, St James' Park side and Everton.
Yet the young English striker was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after joining from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has not scored in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca stated he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".
When queried about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the conditioning element is important. When you are not fully fit it's challenging to excel, notably in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to net twenty times each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and create chances but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea deal with additional challenges in addition to their attackers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m recruit from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has entertained since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and a single assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who got seven from defensive position last campaign, is without a goal this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.
After 13 matches in all competitions no attacker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.
Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca commented: "Certainly, yes. We repeatedly stated that the five players at the attack, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has discovered methods to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the first team to have ten various goalscorers in the top flight this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea fans think the number nine shirt - taken by Delap in the off-season - is cursed. It had been available since last year, and squad members who donned it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 appearances
A central player and defender are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unconcerned when questioned about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup.
"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a figure that has always been related to strikers so it's something that I like and there's no pressure."