Delap Returns as The Blues Look to Address Attacking Problems
Forward Liam Delap is recovering from a hamstring injury at a time of need for Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge outfit lost 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on recently, with head coach Enzo Maresca attributing "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "below standard".
Chelsea's strikers are struggling for goals and key passes as Delap makes his comeback in the League Cup against lowly Wolves on Wednesday (evening kickoff), having been absent for 10 matches since picking up the problem in the victory over Fulham in last month.
Maresca said the 22-year-old will be phased in "carefully", and the recent acquisition's comeback is crucial for a side facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the domestic cups their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this season.
Delap to Ease Burden On Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for a £30 million fee despite pursuit by Manchester United, Newcastle United and Goodison Park team.
Yet the young English striker was below £55 million acquisition Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this summer's Club World Cup - and with valid cause.
Joao Pedro registered a trio of strikes in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Brazil striker notched additional strikes and three assists in his first four Premier League games after joining from Brighton.
More of late, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca said he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who at the moment demand to be "shielded".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's decline in performance, Maresca commented: "For sure the fitness aspect is important. When you are not at peak condition it's challenging to excel, particularly in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a traditional striker that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a excellent footballer, he's going to score and give assists but he's a alternative type of striker to ones that score 20 to 25 goals every season like [Robert] Lewandowski, [Kylian] Mbappe or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea deal with broader problems apart from their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Forward Cole Palmer has played two full matches all term and is not anticipated to feature from a lower body issue until the winter.
Attacking midfielder 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 score in seven outings and forced an own goal against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, the teenager, has entertained since joining from Palmeiras for a £51m package, but has only two goals and one assist - equaling youth product Tyrique George.
Attacker Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have one goal each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from full-back last campaign, is without a goal this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has a single strike and two goal contributions in his previous two fixtures, but before that scored only once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen fixtures in various cups no attacker has over two strikes, with engine room operators Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means duties need distributing, Maresca stated: "Certainly, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the front, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last term."
Maresca has discovered methods to challenge despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, trailing by one Arsenal. In moreover, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten distinct net-finders in the top flight this campaign.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea supporters feel the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is hexed. It had been available since 2023, and squad members who donned it since 2006 have had goal droughts, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - three goals in twenty-one matches
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - fifteen strikes 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) - 24 goals in seventy-two matches
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one score in twelve matches
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): 45 goals in 172 appearances
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games
A central player and backline player are included in this group, and some would argue Abraham lifted the hoodoo with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink thrived with the number nine.
But Delap was unconcerned when queried about the curse. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the global competition.
"In the final analysis it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a number that has historically been connected to strikers so it's something that I enjoy and there's zero expectation."
