Delap Returns as Chelsea Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Attacker Liam Delap is returning from a muscle issue at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "a lack of creativity" and his team's delivery being "subpar".
Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on this week (evening kickoff), having sat out 10 fixtures since picking up the problem in the 2-0 win over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca said the emerging talent will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the new recruit's comeback is crucial for a side facing questions over their mixed results, which has left the domestic cups their best opportunity of claiming silverware this season.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from the Championship side for thirty million pounds despite interest from the Red Devils, Newcastle United and Everton.
Yet the Three Lions prospect was second to £55m signing Joao Pedro in the team ranking at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three matches as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the USA. The Brazilian forward scored another two and three assists in his initial four top-flight matches after arriving from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his previous seven fixtures. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "shielded".
When queried about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "For sure the physical part is important. When you are not fully fit it's hard to perform, particularly in this division."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to reach twenty strikes each year. Joao's a fantastic player, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to those who net 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, the French superstar or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea face wider issues apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's scoreless streak.
Forward Cole Palmer has completed two games all campaign and is not anticipated to feature from a groin problem until the winter.
Attacking midfielder Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, brought in from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has no goals and one goal contribution in 10 matches. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven matches and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has shown promise since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has merely two scores and one setup - matching homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from defensive position last term, is without a goal this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two setups in his past two matches, but earlier scored only once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen games in various cups no striker has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's equal leading marksmen with four goals.
Questioned whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the front five at the offense, we need numerous strikes from each, in the manner we achieved last term."
Maresca has developed approaches to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for dead-ball situations in the English top division, trailing by one Arsenal. In furthermore, the Stamford Bridge side are the pioneering side to have 10 different scorers in the Premier League this season.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea supporters think the striker's jersey - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been vacant since last year, and footballers who wore it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in 21 games
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - thirty strikes 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 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - zero strikes in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - zero strikes in twenty matches
A central player and backline player are among those listed, and some would contend Abraham broke the curse with his record, while iconic forwards such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink excelled with the number nine.
But Delap was unfazed when questioned about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he said at the Club World Cup.
"Ultimately it's a figure on the jersey 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 zero expectation."