Delap Makes Comeback as Chelsea Aim to Solve Attacking Problems
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a hamstring injury at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The West London club were beaten 2-1 against surprise package Sunderland at their home ground on Saturday, with head coach Enzo Maresca blaming "insufficient imagination" and his side's crossing being "subpar".
Chelsea's attackers are having difficulty finding the net and key passes as Delap is back available in the EFL Cup against bottom-half Wolves on Wednesday (19:45 GMT), having sat out 10 fixtures since suffering the setback in the success over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca commented the young striker will be gradually introduced "slowly", and the recent acquisition's comeback is vital for a club facing questions over their unpredictability, which has left the national tournaments their best opportunity of winning a trophy this term.
Delap to Take Pressure Off Joao Pedro
Chelsea brought in Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite attention from the Red Devils, St James' Park side and the Toffees.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the pecking order at this recent international tournament - and with good reason.
Joao Pedro scored three goals in three appearances as Chelsea secured the maiden title in the USA. The Seleção attacker scored another two and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after moving from the Seagulls.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has been goalless in his last seven games. Maresca stated he is one of a trio of players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who presently require to be "handled carefully".
When asked about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca said: "Definitely the physical part is crucial. When you are not fully fit it's difficult to compete, especially in this league."
"Joao Pedro is not a number nine that is going to score 20 goals annually. Joao's a superb talent, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a distinctive forward to players who get 20 to 25 goals every season like the Bayern legend, the French superstar or the Norwegian goal machine."
Wider Problems in Chelsea's Attack
Chelsea deal with wider issues in addition to their forwards and Joao Pedro's goalless run.
Winger Cole Palmer has featured for ninety minutes twice all campaign and is unlikely to be back from a groin problem 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 appearances. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has a single strike in seven games and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, eighteen, has impressed since joining from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one setup - paralleling academy forward Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and Seagulls temporary signing Facundo Buonanotte have a single strike apiece.
Marc Cucurella, who scored seven from full-back last campaign, is without a goal this season. Attacking player Pedro Neto has one goal and two goal contributions in his last two games, but before that found the net just once in the opening ten matches.
After thirteen fixtures in all competitions no forward has more than two goals, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four goals.
Asked whether a absence of prolific strikers means responsibility must be shared, Maresca stated: "Absolutely, yes. We repeatedly stated that the quintet of attackers at the offense, we need multiple goals per player, in the way we have done last campaign."
Maresca has discovered methods to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are second place for set-piece goals in the top flight, one less than Arsenal. In furthermore, the Blues are the first team to have ten distinct net-finders in the first division this term.
Is the Number Nine Hoodoo About to Lift?
Some Chelsea fans feel the center-forward number - claimed by Delap in the summer - is hexed. It had been unoccupied since recently, and squad members who sported it since 2006 have had goal droughts, 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) - thirty strikes in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five scores in 19 games
- Alvaro Morata (2017-18) - 24 scores in 72 games
- Radamel Falcao (2015-16) - one goal in 12 games
- Fernando Torres (2010-11, 2014-15): forty-five strikes in one hundred seventy-two matches
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - no goals in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - one score in 25 games
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in 20 games
A central player and backline player are part of this selection, and some would argue Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while legendary strikers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with the striker's jersey.
But Delap was unconcerned when asked about the jinx. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he stated at the Club World Cup.
"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a digit that has traditionally been associated to forwards so it's something that I appreciate and there's zero expectation."