Delap Back in Action as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Forward Concerns
Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his squad's passes being "subpar".
Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and goal contributions as Delap makes his comeback in the EFL Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.
Maresca commented the emerging talent will be phased in "carefully", and the summer signing's return is crucial for a side facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this campaign.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite pursuit by Manchester United, Newcastle United and the Toffees.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the United States. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three assists in his first four Premier League games after arriving from Brighton.
More lately, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his past seven matches. Maresca revealed he is one of a trio of players - along with central players Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "protected".
When asked about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca remarked: "Certainly the conditioning element is vital. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals each year. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the PSG forward or the Norwegian goal machine."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea deal with broader problems apart from their forwards and Joao Pedro's drought.
Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is unlikely to be back from a lower body issue until December.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has no goals and one goal contribution in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has shown promise since arriving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one setup - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last season, is still to score this term. Winger Pedro Neto has one score and two setups in his previous two fixtures, but before that found the net just once in the first 10 games.
After thirteen games in various cups no striker has over two strikes, with midfielders Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's shared top goalscorers with four strikes.
Queried whether a lack of natural goalscorers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Absolutely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the front five at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has found ways to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations 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 top flight this campaign.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters think the number nine shirt - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been available since last year, and squad members who donned it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 goals in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 scores in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games
A central player and defender are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with nine on their back.
But Delap was unfazed when asked about the jinx. "I don't believe [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.
"At the end of the day it's a figure on the jersey of your shirt. It's just a figure that has always been related to attackers so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."
