Delap Returns as Chelsea Look to Address Attacking Problems
Attacker Liam Delap is recovering from a muscle issue at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Blues lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with manager Enzo Maresca attributing "limited inventiveness" and his team's delivery being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are finding it hard to score and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against struggling Wolves on this week (19:45 GMT), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the 2-0 win over Fulham in last month.
Maresca commented the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the recent acquisition's comeback is crucial for a club facing criticism over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite attention from the Red Devils, St James' Park side and the Toffees.
Yet the young English striker was behind £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this recent international tournament - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea claimed the first edition in the America. The Brazilian forward added two more goals and three goal contributions in his first four Premier League games after moving from the Seagulls.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "protected".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca remarked: "For sure the physical part is important. When you are not at peak condition it's hard to perform, especially in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a classic center-forward that is going to score 20 goals every season. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to get goals and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals each year like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea face broader problems beyond their forwards and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all season and is not expected return from a lower body issue until the winter.
Wide player Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, acquired from Borussia Dortmund for a £52m package, has failed to score and one assist in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m acquisition from Manchester United, has one goal in seven matches and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a potential £51 million deal, but has just two strikes and a single assist - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Striker Marc Guiu and Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from defensive position last season, is yet to find the net this term. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his past two matches, but prior to that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.
After 13 matches in every tournament no attacker has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four strikes.
Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means duties need distributing, Maresca said: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the quintet of attackers at the attack, we need six, seven, eight, nine, 10 goals each, in the manner we achieved last season."
Maresca has found ways to compete despite attacking inconsistency. Chelsea are runner-up in set-piece goals in the top flight, one behind Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have ten various goalscorers in the first division this season.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea followers think the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the off-season - is jinxed. It had been vacant since recently, and footballers who donned it since 2006 have struggled for goals, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in 58 games
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes in eighty-two matches
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in 16 appearances
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 appearances
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - failed to score in twenty matches
A central player and defensive specialist are part of this selection, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his record, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unmoved when queried about the jinx. "I'm not the type of person [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.
"At the end of the day it's a digit on the shirt of your kit. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to strikers so it's something that I appreciate and there's no pressure."
