Delap Makes Comeback as The Blues Look to Address Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is recovering from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The Blues lost 2-1 against unexpected challengers Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "not the best".
Chelsea's forwards are finding it hard to score and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in August.
Maresca said the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the recent acquisition's availability is important for a side facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the cup competitions their primary hope of securing honors this campaign.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite attention from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and the Toffees.
Yet the young English striker was behind £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three setups in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".
When asked about Joao Pedro's drop in output, Maresca said: "Certainly the fitness aspect is important. When you are not 100% it's difficult to compete, particularly in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to reach twenty strikes every season. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and create chances but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals annually like the Polish striker, the French superstar or [Erling] Haaland."
Additional Concerns in Chelsea's Forward Line
Chelsea deal with broader problems in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.
Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is not expected return from a lower body issue until the winter.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one score in seven games and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one setup - matching academy forward Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last term, is yet to find the net this campaign. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but prior to that got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no attacker has more than two goals, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.
Asked whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca stated: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the fashion we managed last campaign."
Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the top flight, trailing by one Arsenal. In addition, 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 center-forward number - taken by Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been available since recently, and footballers who sported 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 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in 12 appearances
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one goal in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A engine room operator and backline player are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with nine on their back.
But Delap was unmoved when asked about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the global competition.
"At the end of the day it's a number on the back of your uniform. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to attackers so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."
