Delap Back in Action as Stamford Bridge Side Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Attacker Liam Delap is coming back from a thigh problem at a important period for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap is back available in the Carabao Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having missed 10 games since sustaining the injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham in August.
Maresca stated the 22-year-old will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the new recruit's comeback is vital for a team facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of winning a trophy this campaign.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for £30m despite attention from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and the Toffees.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this global competition - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three outings as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the USA. The Brazil striker scored another two and three assists in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his past seven matches. Maresca said he is one of three squad members - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "Certainly the physical part is vital. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, especially in this competition."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and provide assists but he's a alternative type of striker to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, [Kylian] Mbappe or the Norwegian goal machine."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face broader problems beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Attacker Cole Palmer has completed two games all season and is not expected return from a lower body issue until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a potential £52 million deal, has zero strikes and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven outings and caused an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has just two strikes and one assist - paralleling youth product Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last campaign, is yet to find the net this campaign. Wide man Pedro Neto has one goal and two setups in his last two games, but earlier got only one goal in the initial ten fixtures.
After 13 matches in every tournament no attacker has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We said many times that the front five at the offense, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last season."
Maresca has found ways to compete despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in dead-ball situations in the English top division, one less than Arsenal. In moreover, the West London club are the first team to have 10 different scorers in the top flight this campaign.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers think the center-forward number - assigned to Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since last year, and squad members who donned it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three strikes in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 scores in 58 appearances
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five goals in nineteen matches
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - twenty-four strikes in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in 16 games
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in 20 games
A central player and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with nine on their back.
But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the hoodoo. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a digit that has historically been connected to forwards so it's something that I enjoy and there's no pressure."
