Delap Back in Action as The Blues Aim to Solve Forward Concerns
Striker Liam Delap is returning from a thigh problem at a crucial moment for Chelsea.
The Blues lost 2-1 against shock contenders Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on the weekend, with boss Enzo Maresca citing "insufficient imagination" and his squad's passes being "below standard".
Chelsea's forwards are having difficulty finding the net and assists as Delap returns in the EFL Cup against struggling Wolves on midweek (prime time), having been absent for 10 matches since suffering the setback in the victory over Fulham in the summer.
Maresca stated the young striker will be phased in "slowly", and the summer signing's comeback is crucial for a team facing scrutiny over their inconsistency, which has left the cup competitions their most realistic chance of claiming silverware this term.
Delap to Share Load With Joao Pedro
Chelsea signed Delap from Ipswich Town for thirty million pounds despite attention from Old Trafford club, St James' Park side and the Toffees.
Yet the England Under-21s forward was below £55m signing Joao Pedro in the selection hierarchy at this summer's Club World Cup - and with solid justification.
Joao Pedro found the net three times in three outings as Chelsea won the inaugural tournament in the America. The Seleção attacker added two more goals and three goal contributions in his opening quartet of league fixtures after arriving from Brighton.
More recently, however, Joao Pedro has failed to score in his last seven games. Maresca revealed he is one of three players - along with engine room operators Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo - who currently need to be "handled carefully".
When questioned about Joao Pedro's dip in form, Maresca commented: "Certainly the conditioning element is vital. When you are not 100% 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 excellent footballer, he's going to find the net and provide assists but he's a different kind of nine to players who get 20 to 25 goals each year like the Polish striker, the French superstar or the City striker."
Broader Issues in Chelsea's Offense
Chelsea confront additional challenges in addition to their strikers and Joao Pedro's drought.
Winger Cole Palmer has completed two games all term and is unlikely to be back from a groin injury until next month.
Winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, signed from Borussia Dortmund for a fee rising to £52m, has failed to score and one assist in ten games. Alejandro Garnacho, a £40 million signing from Manchester United, has one score in seven outings and induced an opposition error against Benfica.
Estevao Willian, 18, has entertained since moving from Palmeiras for a fee rising to £51m, but has only two goals and one assist - equaling homegrown talent Tyrique George.
Forward Marc Guiu and loan signing Facundo Buonanotte have one score each.
Marc Cucurella, who notched seven from left-back last term, is yet to find the net this season. Wide man Pedro Neto has one score and two assists in his previous two fixtures, but earlier found the net just once in the opening ten matches.
After 13 matches in various cups no attacker has above two scores, with central players Fernandez and Caicedo Chelsea's joint top scorers with four.
Queried whether a shortage of clinical finishers means goals must come from multiple sources, Maresca said: "Definitely, yes. We frequently mentioned that the five players at the attack, we need multiple goals per player, in the manner we achieved last campaign."
Maresca has developed approaches to be competitive despite offensive unpredictability. Chelsea are runner-up in free-kick and corner scores in the Premier League, one behind Arsenal. In addition, the Stamford Bridge side are the initial club to have ten various goalscorers in the Premier League this season.
Will Chelsea's Number Nine Curse Be Broken?
Some Chelsea fans believe the center-forward number - taken by Delap in the transfer window - is cursed. It had been unoccupied since 2023, and players who sported it since 2006 have found scoring difficult, including:
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2022-23) - a trio of scores in 21 appearances
- Romelu Lukaku (2021-22) - 15 goals in fifty-eight matches
- Tammy Abraham (2019-20, 2021-22) - 30 scores in 82 games
- Gonzalo Higuain (2018-19) - five strikes in nineteen matches
- 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): 45 goals in 172 games
- Franco di Santo (2008-10) - failed to score in sixteen matches
- Steve Sidwell (2007-08) - a single strike in twenty-five matches
- Khalid Boulahrouz (2006-07) - no goals in twenty matches
A midfielder and defensive specialist are included in this group, and some would suggest Abraham ended the jinx with his performance, while famous attackers such as Peter Osgood and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink flourished with nine on their back.
But Delap was unfazed when queried about the hoodoo. "I'm not one [who believes in curses]," he commented at the international tournament.
"Ultimately it's a number on the back of your kit. It's just a figure that has historically been connected to attackers so it's something that I like and there's no added burden."
